Abe Issa

Background

Abe Issa was born December 23, 1982, in Beirut, Lebanon, to George and Margo Issa.

Education

In 2005, Issa graduated with a Bachelor in Business Administration.

Career

The family left Beirut in the wake of the Lebanese Civil War ultimately settling in Fort Worth, Texas in 1987. In 2001 Issa began his collegiate career at Texas Christian University. As a student of the Neeley School of Business, Issa began his major in finance with an emphasis in real estate.

Real estate In the summer between his Junior and Senior year, Issa became interested in real estate investing.

During his senior year at Texas Christian University, Issa began work at Air Corps Properties. He worked 50+ hours a week on top of his coursework for his entire final year, eventually becoming the vice president at the age of 23.

Following his graduation in 2005 Issa founded Abe Issa Real Estate, a company that purchased foreclosed homes, renovating and then selling them. Issa enjoyed several years of success until the 2007–2009 recession in the United States hit which caused the company to close in 2010.

Global Efficient Energy After the closing of his real estate company, Issa started Global Efficient Energy with only $1,000 and within the first 45 days of operation the company had made over $100,000 in revenue.

Issa began by calling customers and going door-to-door giving free in-home energy efficiency evaluations in the Fort Worth area. Soon thereafter, the company began to offer new consumer products and in the summer of 2012, GEE began installing solar panels. The company was 12th on the "Top 25 United States Solar Contractors" for 2014 and the company was to be valued at 50 million dollars in.

In August of Global Efficient Energy was names #32 on Incorporated Magazines’ 34th annual Incorporated.

5000 list of fastest-growing private companies. Additionally, in the same publication, Global Efficient Energy was named #3 Top Energy companies, #2 Top Texas Companies and #2 Company in the Dallas Metro Area.

2014 In Issa made a $500,000 financial commitment to construct the Abe Issa Field Sales Laboratory at Texas Christian University. According to school officials. "The Neeley Sales and Consumer Insights Center will engage Texas Christian University students with the larger sales and marketing business community and offer technologically advanced spaces for collaborative learning and research.

The Abe Issa Field Sales Laboratory will be a smart-learning lab with flexible spaces for product development, merchandising activities and displays, writable surfaces and the latest in visualization technology." The project is expected to break ground in 2016.

Achievements

• 2014 Incorporated Magazine: Readers voted Issa as one 35 under 35 of coolest entrepreneurs TechRepublic: Named one of 40 under 40 Real Difference Makers In Technical and Business. 2015 Stevie Awards: American Business Awards - Silver award for Executive of the Year (All Other Industries) Stevie Awards: American Business Awards – Silver award for Maverick of the Year (Consumer Products & Services Industries) EY Entrepreneur Of The Year: Finalist for the Southwest Region Best in Biz Awards: Silver award for Executive of the Year – Medium (100-999 employees).