From an early age, Abe Tekippe knew he wasn’t destined for – or cut out for – farm life. Hailing from rural Iowa, where most of the “real estate” is covered in corn and soybean fields, he figured he would end up “in town” somewhere. But he never imagined that town would be a city as large as Chicago, and he certainly didn’t see himself working in an industry he knew nothing about when he moved there.

After graduating from the University of Iowa, Abe relocated to the Windy City to obtain his master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He started his career at Crain’s Chicago Business, initially working as a social media intern, which came with the added perk of doing some general assignment reporting. As his internship was nearing its end, he was approached with an opportunity to contribute to the publication’s commercial real estate coverage. Cap rates? Net leases? RevPAR? He knew even less about them than Chicago; nonetheless, he figured it would be a good way to learn more about both his “second city” and an industry that, while seemingly foreign, is actually quite relevant in everyday life.

As a journalist, Abe worked with Taylor Johnson frequently, covering projects developed by the firm’s clients, profiling their executives and tapping them for commentary on broader trends as the market came out of the recession. A few years later, he joined the firm as an account executive, a position that allowed him to apply the knowledge he developed as a reporter in different ways, and for different audiences locally, nationally and internationally. He especially enjoys bridging the gap between journalism and PR by developing messaging that promotes client projects and service offerings while anticipating the needs of the reporters and editors who are on the other side of every pitch.

In his current role of senior vice president, Abe supervises many of the firm’s residential and commercial accounts, guiding day-to-day managers on broader PR strategy and execution. He also assists with media training exercises, participates in new business initiatives and, drawing on his prior experience, helps oversee the firm’s social media campaigns both internally and on behalf of clients.

When he’s not working, Abe enjoys visiting breweries, running, traveling (usually to Vegas) and spending time with his partner, Derek, and their shih tzu, Oscar, who can be found on Instagram at @furbabyoscar.

BEYOND THE BIO