NORFOLK, VA, July 16, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Jason Umidi has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. Umidi's professional journey is distinguished by a commitment to service, resilience in the face of adversity and a dedication to fostering empathy and human connection. As an author and small business owner of Umidi Lifestyle Solutions LLC, he manages all daily operations for MedEmporium, a medical equipment retailer in Chesapeake, Virginia. In this capacity since 2025, Mr. Umidi oversees financial bookkeeping, product ordering and overall store management. His responsibilities extend beyond the storefront, as he interacts directly with customers and caregivers to assess their needs for mobility equipment, wound care, bath safety and incontinence products. Furthermore, he coordinates home deliveries for homebound clients, travels to assisted living facilities to demonstrate equipment, and hosts hands-on maintenance workshops on repairing wheelchairs and electric scooters. Mr. Umidi's leadership at MedEmporium is marked by his focus on dignity and respect for elderly and disabled clients as well as their caregivers.

In addition to his work at MedEmporium, Mr. Umidi has co-owned SmarterVending LLC, a high-end vending machine business serving the Hampton Roads area in Norfolk, Virginia, with his wife since 2024. He has also served as an addiction recovery coach on a freelance basis in 2022, drawing from his own experiences to guide others through recovery. Mr. Umidi's expertise in life and recovery coaching is further demonstrated through his collaboration with Tidewater Psychiatric Center in Virginia Beach, where he serves as a core recovery speaker for classes and develops educational content for the facility's website.

From 2021 to present, Mr. Umidi operates Recovery Coaching by Jason Umidi, providing recovery coaching services rooted in empathy and self-awareness. Previously, he held the role of field project manager at Priority Inc. in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, between 2015 and 2025. In this position, Mr. Umidi managed job sites, crews, and client relationships across the U.S. and Canada, traveling extensively each week. He also garnered experience in 2017 as a commercial construction superintendent at Horizon Retail Construction Inc., overseeing restaurant construction projects. Similarly, Mr. Umidi worked as a project manager for AGI in Virginia Beach from 2012 to 2015, where he coordinated office and field operations for various construction projects. This role came after his earlier tenure as the managing director of Intermission Properties LLC in Norfolk, dating back to 2002, where he operated as a general contractor, flipped houses and managed residential rental properties until selling his final rental property around 2023.

Before launching Umidi Lifestyle Solutions LLC and SmarterVending LLC, Mr. Umidi's entrepreneurial background included serving as general manager of Just For Jess Inc., a small business venture in Norfolk from 1995 to 1997. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated expertise in customer relations and leadership grounded in empathy, a quality he considers essential for effective management.

Mr. Umidi's early professional life was shaped by creative pursuits as an actor in New York City, where he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. He also lived in Europe during the 1980s, working as a model before returning to the U.S. to pursue other ventures.

Following high school, Mr. Umidi completed coursework toward a Bachelor of Business Administration at Grove City College near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also holds certifications as a certified life coach and certified recovery coach. These credentials inform his approach to guiding individuals through restoration and personal accountability based on core recovery principles.

Mr. Umidi's civic engagement is extensive. He founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to distributing recovery books free of charge to incarcerated individuals nationwide. He also serves remotely as a weekly coach for clients within jail and prison systems and donates books while volunteering as a speaker at local and regional recovery centers and churches. Mr. Umidi's community involvement extends through participation in volunteer initiatives via his local church and support for community welfare efforts aligned with his family's values, including supporting foster children through his wife's professional work.

In 2022, Mr. Umidi published "Jesus + Seltzer: Stories + Meditations on Sobriety + Recovery." He has appeared on international syndicated radio programs, television broadcasts and National Public Radio to discuss the book, which he considers his most significant accomplishment due to its broad impact on readers seeking personal growth or recovery.

In light of his achievements, Mr. Umidi has been recognized through media features, such as a profile in CEO Weekly in 2025 that highlighted his recovery journey and leadership at MedEmporium. Trade publications have also covered his faith journey and experience as a business owner.

Mr. Umidi attributes much of his perseverance during difficult years to an enduring belief that faith would eventually provide guidance. Looking ahead, he plans to expand MedEmporium by opening an additional location to meet growing demand among aging populations. In his writing career, Mr. Umidi intends to publish another book of meditations focused on recovery themes and complete his memoir, which is currently underway. Furthermore, he plans to pursue opportunities as a national keynote speaker addressing addiction within faith communities, advocating for greater compassion toward marginalized groups based on lived experience rather than language alone.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. The suite of Marquis® publications, including Who's Who in America® and Who's Who in the World®, remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the globe. Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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