About Lory
Lory Martinez is a Colombian-American multicultural brand strategist and founder from Queens, NYC, now based in Paris, France.
That’s the short version. Or, if you prefer, the 2026 LinkedIn one.
The longer version is this: I’m an immigrant, a new mom, and someone living a thoroughly multicultural life that blends New York Latino roots with the land of croissants. I’m also a writer. I care deeply about language, rhythm, and the way stories move people. That love of words has shaped my work as a copywriter and an award-winning storyteller.
As a woman in business, I’ve often been the only woman on a panel. I’ve also been asked where I’m “really from” more times than I can count. Over time, that has made me a cultural chameleon of sorts. I’m curious about the origins of words, traditions, and the quiet systems that shape how we communicate across cultures. I am also, for the record, a terrible swimmer who loves the ocean.
Enfin, I used to run an international podcast company called Studio Ochenta, producing multilingual, award-winning projects across Europe and the Americas. Running Ochenta taught me how brands grow without paid media or trends. Ochenta’s growth came through story, trust, partnerships, and community. Being a first time founder also taught me when it’s time to let go and begin again.
I sunset the company in 2025 to focus on new creative endeavors, which include:
Being a good mom
Launching Maraviya, a consultancy to help multicultural entrepreneurs like myself develop their brands and businesses. Here’s a little preview:
Maraviya is born from my desire to share that expertise with entrepreneurs and help creatives around the world own their brand story and grow with confidence. The name comes from the Maravilla, a Colombian flower, and it also happens to mean ‘a marvelous thing. The story of this brand is simple: it’s about planting a seed and growing, all over again, to become something worthy of the word. It is my 2nd company, with all the international mission, vision, and values of Ochenta channeled into human connections. After I left the podcast business, I briefly considered becoming a florist. This is my way of building a garden anyway. I hope that each project I help bloom becomes a driver for change in the world in some small way, whether it changes someone’s life or brings a much-needed product to the world.
And, last but not least, writing my first novel. No preview… yet.
Hello, nice to meet you. Now what?
Here are a few options:
a) If you’re interested in how I built an award-winning creative company, and how those principles might help you build or grow your own, you can explore Maraviya, right here.
b) If you like the way I write, you can read some of my long-form creative fiction and non-fiction essays about immigrant life, cultural identity, and navigating the post-AI content world over on Substack here and listen to my podcast “Mija” in English, French, or Spanish here.
c) If you’re curious about the novel, all will be revealed in due time. That said, if you’d like to support the writing of what I hope will become the next international bestseller, booking a Maraviya session is, quite literally, how that work is being funded.
If you’ve made it this far, feel free to say hello. I speak a lot of English, Spanish, and French, and just enough Italian to get into trouble.
Would love to chat.