LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 23, 2026--
Founder & Chairman of Evolve Holdings Jaser (Jay) Zaabri stands as a leader in an era where business landscapes shift with increasing velocity, and the ability to scale effectively across disparate industries has become the ultimate hallmark of a modern visionary. Transitioning from a hands-on operator to a strategic founder requires more than just capital; it demands a repeatable blueprint for operational excellence. By integrating sophisticated sales systems with robust logistical frameworks, leaders are finding new ways to build resilient, multi-industry empires that stand the test of time.
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The Foundation of Strategic Scaling
True growth begins long before the first stone is laid or the first product reaches the shelf. It starts with a foundational understanding of market dynamics and the courage to apply proven principles to new arenas. For Jaser Zaabri, this journey began with a deep immersion into the complexities of international commerce and high-level strategic partnerships. By blending academic rigor from institutions like the Carlson School of Management with real-world field experience, an entrepreneur can develop a unique industrial intuition that identifies opportunities where others see obstacles.
Building a company from the ground up in the construction sector requires a meticulous focus on process optimization. Whether managing disaster recovery or large-scale general contracting, the goal is to create a seamless bridge between client needs and technical execution. When these systems are refined, they provide a stable platform that enables rapid expansion into adjacent markets without sacrificing the quality of service customers expect.
Bridging the Gap Between Construction and Consumer Goods
One might wonder how success in the heavy-duty world of restoration translates to the fast-moving pace of consumer products. The answer lies in mastering distribution and human capital. Jaser Zaabri has demonstrated that the core mechanics of a $100 million sales operation, whether in energy drinks or organic personal care, rely on the same pillars: empowering cross-functional teams and maintaining a relentless focus on the end-user experience.
Scaling a consumer brand internationally requires navigating a maze of logistics, cross-border marketing, and distributor networks. By treating these challenges as scalable systems, a founder can replicate success across 30 or more countries. This multifaceted approach ensures that the business is not just a participant in the market but a leader that sets the standard for efficiency and reach.
Driving Long-Term Value Through Jaser Zaabri’s Vision
The final stage of scaling is the transition from managing daily operations to building an enduring investment and operating group. This evolution enables a leader to foster talent through dedicated training programs and specialized recruiting teams, ensuring the company’s culture remains intact as headcount grows. Jaser Zaabri emphasizes that sustainable growth is inextricably linked to community impact. By redirecting resources to disaster relief and local nonprofits, a business solidifies its reputation as a service-oriented pillar of the community.
As industries continue to overlap, the entrepreneurs who succeed will be those who can maintain a warm, approachable leadership style while executing a professional, high-stakes growth strategy. The legacy of a true builder is found not just in the revenue generated but in the systems left behind and the lives improved through dedicated service.
About Jaser (Jay) Zaabri
Jaser Zaabri is a distinguished entrepreneur and executive known for his expertise in scaling high-growth companies across the construction, consumer goods, and hospitality sectors. With a background rooted in international business and executive leadership from the Haas School of Business, he focuses on building operational frameworks that drive both commercial success and community restoration. Through his various ventures, he remains committed to excellence, innovation, and the development of the next generation of industry leaders.
Evolve Construction & Restoration Founder and Chairman Jaser Zaabri on Technical Scaling Across Multi-Industry Enterprises
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Authorities say a former North Carolina law enforcement officer planned to kill Black people in a mass shooting at a major New Orleans festival but was arrested at a Florida hotel with a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Authorities in several states did not name the event, but the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, commonly known as Jazz Fest, runs from Thursday through May 3. The gathering attracted about 460,000 people last year, organizers said.
Christopher Gillum of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, was wanted for “terroristic threats,” the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office in Florida posted online Thursday. Federal authorities told the sheriff's office that Gillum, who is white, was in the Florida Panhandle “heading to do a mass shooting at a large festival in Louisiana.” The FBI in New Orleans said it's working on the investigation with law enforcement across the three states.
The Okaloosa sheriff’s office said Gillum was arrested without incident Wednesday night at a hotel in the city of Destin, and posted a photo of him being led away in handcuffs. Deputies recovered a handgun and about 200 rounds of ammunition from the hotel room, the statement said.
Gillum was arrested as a fugitive from justice and will be extradited to Louisiana to face charges there, the sheriff’s office said. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer. The Associated Press left a message at phone numbers listed for him.
Gillum’s family reported him missing on Tuesday and he has a history of self-harm, according to Lt. Clint Lyons of the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina. Gillum’s family told law enforcement he had a gun and had “expressed recent threats to harm ‘Black people,’” according to a bulletin from police in Burlington, North Carolina.
Lyons said Gillum left the state before his agency could prepare the paperwork to involuntarily commit him to psychiatric treatment. Lyons said there were no criminal grounds to detain Gillum despite his comments about Black people “because there was no victim,” however the agency decided it needed to spread the word about him to other departments.
Gillum was located and stopped by law enforcement in Oklaloosa County on Wednesday, according to Lyons and the Burlington police bulletin.
However, he “did not present any grounds for involuntary commitment or criminal charges” and was allowed to continue on his way, the bulletin stated. Gillum told officers he was “enroute to New Orleans,” the report added.
Okaloosa deputies were initially asked to make a “welfare check” on him Wednesday morning but they didn't know he'd been making violent threats, sheriff spokesperson Michele Nicholson said. Later that day, after the sheriff's office learned Gillum was being investigated, deputies surveilled him until an arrest warrant arrived from Louisiana, she added.
“At this time, there are no known direct threats to any festivals in Louisiana,” State Police spokesperson Trooper Danny Berrincha said.
Gillum served as a sworn police officer in Chapel Hill from 2004 until his resignation in 2019, town spokesperson Alex Carrasquillo said.
He worked as a police officer in the coastal town of Carolina Beach from October 2019 until his resignation the following October, town administrative services officer Sheila Nicholson said. Gillum became a detention officer in October 2023 with the Orange County, North Carolina, sheriff’s office and left in July 2024, spokesperson Alicia L. Stemper said.
He returned the Chapel Hill police force as a non-sworn employee in 2024 before leaving again by the end of the year, Carrasquillo said. He was then rehired as an Orange County sheriff's deputy in January 2025 but resigned that September, she said.
Mustian reported from Natchitoches, Louisiana, and McCormack from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press writer Allen G. Breed in Wake Forest, North Carolina, contributed.
A New Orleans Police Department officer monitors a crowd on the first day of the 2026 New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival in New Orleans on Thursday, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephen Smith)
This booking photo provided by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, April 23, 2026, shows Christopher Gillum. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office via AP)
This photo provided by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office on Thursday, April 23, 2026, shows a handgun and ammunition recovered from Christopher Gillum's room after he was arrested at a hotel in Destin, Fla. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office via AP)
This photo provided by the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office shows Christopher Gillum being arrested Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at a hotel in Destin, Fla. (Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office via AP)
