KATIE WILLIAMS

CO-FOUNDER + CO-CEO

Katie Williams grew up in a small town in upstate New York, where she broke boundaries early on by becoming the first girl to have a paper route. Her love for adventure was evident when she biked to Nova Scotia at just 17 years old, and later braved the cold of the Adirondack Mountains to go snowshoeing for two weeks. These experiences laid the groundwork for her impressive life journey.

After earning a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Cornell University in 1984, Katie quickly entered the world of direct response marketing. By 1988, she had started her own company, Williams Worldwide Inc. In 1992, she expanded into global marketing, forming another company, Williams Worldwide Television. Her entrepreneurial talent was clear as her company quickly became the top women-owned business in Los Angeles, driven by her knack for storytelling.

Katie’s career is marked by building multiple products to $100 million in sales, earning her a place in the Direct Response Hall of Fame and the Electronic Retailing Lifetime Achievement Award. However, what she’s most proud of is that over the years she’s mentored many people to start their own wildly successful companies.

Katie continues to be committed to helping a diverse group of people, including women, men, immigrants, and people of color, start their own successful businesses. Additionally, her work in empowering over 60,000 underprivileged girls in India, supporting their education from first grade through graduation continues to bring her immense pride and joy.

Today, as the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Ideal Living, Katie continues to embody her principles, demonstrating how dreams, coupled with resolve and empathy, can revolutionize industries, uplift communities, and transform lives.