- Glorify God
- Care for people
- Remember that money is simply a tool
- Maintain integrity
- Emphasize ethics
Growing up in Valdosta, Georgia, Leo Wells received an early introduction to entrepreneurship that would help pave the way for his founding of Wells Real Estate Funds. His parents’ purchase of a Dairy Queen store provided Wells’ with his first exposure to the working world as he often helped out at the store as a young boy. He also learned the value of hard work at his grandparents’ farm. As a teen, Wells excelled in basketball, and he later became more involved in the management of the Dairy Queen. He also managed a miniature golf course that his father built.
Leo Wells began his studies at the University of Georgia in 1962, and upon graduation from the university’s Terry College of Business with a B.B.A. in Economics, Wells returned to Dairy Queen to manage regional branches in the Southeast, eventually selling franchises for the company. After leaving Dairy Queen in the 1970s, Wells worked in sales and property management for Roy D. Warren & Company and Sax Gaskin Real Estate Company.
During this period, Wells began building relationships with financial advisors and high profile investors who wanted to invest in commercial properties. After executing a number of deals for clients in New York, Wells began to attract attention from financial advisors and investors in his home state of Georgia. In 1984, Wells started Wells Real Estate Funds, where he began to pioneer a disciplined office real estate investment philosophy.
Leo Wells has been a frequent guest on ABC, CNBC, CBS Market Watch, Fox Business, and Bloomberg Television. Major awards and honors include:
Leo Wells began his studies at the University of Georgia in 1962, and upon graduation from the university’s Terry College of Business with a B.B.A. in Economics, Wells returned to Dairy Queen to manage regional branches in the Southeast, eventually selling franchises for the company. After leaving Dairy Queen in the 1970s, Wells worked in sales and property management for Roy D. Warren & Company and Sax Gaskin Real Estate Company.
During this period, Wells began building relationships with financial advisors and high profile investors who wanted to invest in commercial properties. After executing a number of deals for clients in New York, Wells began to attract attention from financial advisors and investors in his home state of Georgia. In 1984, Wells started Wells Real Estate Funds, where he began to pioneer a disciplined office real estate investment philosophy.
Leo Wells has been a frequent guest on ABC, CNBC, CBS Market Watch, Fox Business, and Bloomberg Television. Major awards and honors include:
- Inducted into the Hall of Distinction by Southeastern chapter of the Real Estate Investment Advisory Council (REIAC) and Georgia State University in 2009.
- 2007 nominee for the Turknett Leadership Character Award
- 2006 Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Georgia Terry College of Business
- National winner of the 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the financial services category
- Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree conferred by Carver College in 2010
