NewsMakers ’23: Gaby Batshoun, lives life in the fast lane, with ‘entrepreneurship’ in his DNA

By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor

Gaby Batshoun lives life ’in the fast lane’ because entrepreneurship is in his DNA. So is a keen intellect, a penchant for hard work, an ability to fix things (AKA leaving no solution behind) – all with an underpinning of kindness and caring.

It is this entrepreneurial spirit, coupled with a laser focus on dedication, ethics, and giving back to the community, that has earned Gaby Batshoun the Northern Kentucky Tribune’s 2023 NewsMaker award.

As a child, he watched his enterprising father work his way up from a car mechanic to a factory owner. From his father, Gaby learned the value of sacrifice, hard work, and willingness to take a chance on your dream. To this day, his dad is still his hero.

“I come from a family of entrepreneurs,” Batshoun says. “My father worked his way up from being a mechanic to owning his own factory. Watching my father and other family members run their own businesses, I never saw myself doing anything else.”

Gaby was born in Jordan and moved to Morocco as a child. After finishing his first year of college in Morocco, Gaby decided he wanted to come to the U.S. to finish his education and pursue his dream of designing cars. Because he had an aunt living in Cincinnati, he arrived intending to enroll in industrial engineering at UC. First, he studied English as a Second Language at Xavier University. But in 1988, he found a welcoming environment at Northern Kentucky University and enrolled in their new program of manufacturing engineering technology.

“It was the best decision of my life,” he says, because NKU opened the door to opportunity.

In this new engineering program, he gained invaluable knowledge in robotics, automation and manufacturing systems. It was at NKU where Gaby also got a job at the campus computer lab that truly changed his life. While working at the computer lab, he was involved in NKU’s upgrade of its IT network infrastructure. Gaby helped with these upgrades during a time when technology was truly exploding.

Being in the right place at the right time, became another factor in his success. And as with many entrepreneurs, he was willing to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves.

“Don’t be afraid, you never know where opportunities could lead,” he says.

After graduating, Gaby got a job with a large international IT company, but soon decided he was ready to start a business of his own. He founded Global Business Solutions (GBS), which coincided with a major state initiative to put computers in Kentucky classrooms. GBS received the contract to wire Southgate Schools and network their computers. In doing so, he was able to combine his engineering experience with his IT experience to complete job. That project earned Gaby, and GBS, a reputation for being hardworking, dedicated, and able to create unique solutions to solve clients’ problems.

In the fast-changing world of technology, Gaby’s ability to create unique solutions for clients is a valuable commodity and a cornerstone of GBS’s success. GBS expanded into audio-video automation, cameras in schools, cabling and security – to create a “holistic company” that focuses on using technology to solve client’s problems.

His advice to others: “You have to take risks to be in business. Never be afraid of failing. Try new things, and if they don’t work out, learn from them and move along.”

Understanding the impact NKU had on his life, Gaby paid it forward by establishing the GBS Tech and Innovation Center at NKU as a training ground for cybersecurity and information technology (IT) students. Located in Campbell Hall on NKU campus, students gain the IT-based software, hardware and client-support knowledge Greater Cincinnati’s technology jobs require through paid internship positions.

Gaby has located GBS headquarters in downtown Newport where he is still renovating and expanding his business. He is proud of his outstanding team at GBS, who share his dedication and commitment to GBS’ business values that maintains GBS as one of the premier technology companies in Northern Kentucky.

Today, Gaby has reimagined his “car guy” calling as a driver of race cars. He has his pro license certification and races in SCCA and NASA events. He has even built his own Shelby Cobra. Earlier this year, Gaby and his 13-year-old son began go-cart racing.

Gaby is a devoted family man. He and his wife, Jennifer, an interior designer, live in Alexandria. They have three children, Matthew, 24, a cybersecurity engineer, Maya, 22, a university student studying design, and Marcus, 13.

His list of community involvements is extensive – and reflective of a good corporate citizen who focuses on giving back.

As a nonprofit, The NKyTrib has received a matching grant from the nationally-funded NewsMatch program that will double your contributions through the end of the year. We’re asking you for your generosity in supporting us — and in helping us reach our goals for both the amount of donations we receive — as well as bonuses for exceeding the number of readers who donate year-over-year. For that, we say thanks to you as well.