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Montel Williams

Founder

Inspire by Montel

Montel Williams earned his media celebrity status as an inspirational Emmy Award winning television personality whom Americans invited into their homes for more than 17 years. He is a decorated former naval officer, inspirational speaker, author, entrepreneur, advocate for patients worldwide and a passionate snowboarder.

Williams is currently hosting the Lifetime Show, Military Makeover with Montel. This unique series enlists designers, contractors, landscapers and other home improvement professionals to transform the homes and lives of military families across the country.

In 2017, Williams founded Lenitiv Scientific, LLC, a cannabis branding and marketing company. Lenitiv currently has it’s Inspire by Montel brand of THC products available in MA and is working to expand to several more states in 2023. Lenitiv will also launch it CBD line of products, LivBetr in Q2 of 2023.

Williams launched his weekly debut podcast project, Let’s Be Blunt with Montel, in August of 2020. The goal of the podcast is to empower listeners with knowledge on a wide variety of topics that can impact their lives and well being, with a recurring theme of covering the cannabis space. He also hosts a bi-weekly podcast titled Free Thinking, that covers a range of topics including the wellness, inspirational stories and social issues.

After having been “arrested” on cannabis charges while traveling through an airport, he became an early advocate of medical cannabis and cannabis reform generally. At a time where patients were being dragged out of their homes in wheelchairs by the police for using cannabis to treat serious medical conditions like cancer and MS. Williams was one of the few high-profile voices on Capitol Hill fighting for patients. Over the past two decades, he has worked to pass cannabis legislation in key states and helped lead the push for military veterans to access medical cannabis without the threat of losing benefits.

Williams hosted “The Montel Williams Show”, a nationally syndicated talk show distributed by CBS Paramount Television, for 17 years, taping over 3,500 shows and interviewing more than 30,000 guests focusing on key social issues involving ordinary people coping with extraordinary circumstances. He received a Daytime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host and his show was nominated for Outstanding Talk Show two years in a row.

Williams began his professional career in the United States Marine Corp and was the first black Marine selected to the Naval Academy Prep School to then go on to graduate from the United States Naval Academy and be commissioned a Naval Officer. Williams earned a degree in general engineering and a minor in international security affairs. He also earned a degree from the Defense Language Institute in Russian and Mandarin Chinese. While serving in the military Williams was the recipient of two Meritorious Service Medals, two Navy Commendation Medals, two Navy Achievement Medals and various other military awards and citations.

Williams serves on the Board of Directors for the The Fisher House Foundation, The Anne Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases and The Research and Recognition Project.