About Us
Speaker Bio
Kelly Stratton is a survivor, educator, and advocate who turns lived experience into life saving education. With a background in K–12 education and educational technology, Kelly brings trauma informed, evidence based conversations into schools and colleges to help students recognize red flags, build self esteem, and understand what healthy relationships truly look like.
After surviving domestic violence, Kelly began sharing her story publicly as part of her healing. She discovered that healing out loud not only helped her reclaim her voice, but also helped others recognize their own experiences sooner. Today, she is the founder of Wildflower Rising, an educational initiative dedicated to prevention, awareness, and empowerment.
Kelly speaks honestly and accessibly about domestic violence, coercive control, emotional abuse, and post separation abuse, while also focusing on prevention. Her work explores how manipulation begins, why self trust matters, and how early education can interrupt cycles of harm. Her approach blends real world storytelling with practical tools students can actually use.
She is an ambassador for Break the Silence Against Domestic Violence and works closely with survivor communities, educators, and institutions committed to creating safer environments. Kelly’s work is rooted in the belief that resilience is not accidental. It is built through knowledge, support, and self worth.
Why Wildflower Rising
Wildflower Rising was born from healing out loud.
After surviving domestic violence, I began sharing my story as a way to make sense of what I had lived through. What I did not expect was how often others would say, “I wish I had known sooner,” or “I didn’t realize what I was experiencing was abuse.” Again and again, the same truth surfaced. Education could have changed everything.
Wildflower Rising exists to turn lived experience into prevention focused education. The work centers on helping students and women recognize red flags, understand healthy relationships, rebuild self trust, and name what harm actually looks like before it escalates.
The symbolism behind Wildflower Rising reflects this mission. Wildflowers grow where they are not protected, yet they rise anyway. The broken chain represents release from control without losing softness. The butterfly represents becoming, not perfection. Together, they tell the story of survival without centering violence.
This work is not about fear. It is about awareness, language, and empowerment. It is about making sure fewer people have to learn these lessons the hard way.