Joe Issa Big On Thoughts, Outcomes…!

“Joe Issa Big On Thoughts, Outcomes…!”

If small means exclusive and nice, which he is not shy of, then big must mean inclusive and impactful; this is how Joe Issa does things – coming up with great ideas and putting them into action, with huge outcome Joe Issa didn’t just want to do well at school, he thought about coming on top and breaking records in the process.

Similarly, didn’t just want to form a company, he thought of building one of the most recognizable brands in Jamaica, supported by the largest number of companies employing the most workers per capital investment.

At Campion College Joe Issa though he had to rise above his parents’ riches and prove his metal; and he did it in the most recognizable way by winning the prestigious Head Masters Cup. Later, as the only Jamaican at College of the Holy Cross in the US, Issa contemplated popularizing his roots by hosting a radio show to inform students and the wider community of Worcester, Massachusetts about the history and culture of Jamaica while playing reggae music.

Joe Issa also took the renowned London School of Economics (LSE) by storm when he came up with the idea of forming a foundation to raise money to buy books for underprivileged Jamaican and Caribbean schools.

The ‘Educate the Children Fund’ which he founded would later raise about 3,000 pounds in the first raffle. Officially launched at the Jamaica High Commission in London, the charity was widely publicized in Jamaica and the university campus. At the end of Joe Issa’s year the LSE took the fund and gave it a life of its own.

Joe Issa’s repertoire of big ideas with huge impact would later grow even wider. He famously hosted celebrities, luminaries, heads of state, royalty and religious heads – people who are among the most powerful in the world.

And when Joe Issa entertains, that too, makes a statement. One royal guest once referred to him as the ‘consummate host’. As one can imagine, Joe Issa pulls all the stops to create a lasting impression, from his grand parties to his charitable acts.

But it would not be long before Joe Issa redefined what big and impactful meant. The developing of the Cool brand that now adorns the island’s roadways heralded a new era of young entrepreneurs taking over Jamaica.

At 45­years­old he was already the biggest indigenous distributor of petroleum products on the island; founded the largest group of companies with brand recognition; and employed more workers per capital investment than any other company in Jamaica.