Wisfe Aish didn't plan a career in fuel distribution. He needed to feed his family and the petroleum industry was what was available, so he put everything into doing it well. One job led to another. Before fuel, there was paving, grocery stores, McDonald's and KFC. Whatever kept things moving forward.
"I had a family to support, and I needed to make sure they were fed and taken care of," Aish says. "At the time, this industry was what was available to me, and I just put everything I had into doing it well."
That approach, born from necessity more than ambition, eventually led to Double AA Corporation. Founded in 1999, the company has grown into a premier fuel provider operating gas stations and managing a fuel distribution network throughout California. Double AA handles branded and unbranded wholesale operations, manages retail locations including its proprietary DOUBLETIME brand, and maintains partnerships with major petroleum companies such as Valero, ConocoPhillips and Marathon Petroleum. The company also offers renewable energy products including renewable diesel, BioDiesel and E-85.
Aish has been in the petroleum industry for more than 35 years. He's also a real estate investor and developer but his path to leadership wasn't mapped out by mentors or business school. He learned through trial and error, working his way up from jobs that required more sweat than strategy.
"I didn't have much guidance, so I learned leadership through trial and error, and over time that built my confidence," he says.
That confidence didn't come easy. The fuel industry is unforgiving. Margins are tight. Competition is fierce. Stress is constant. But Aish's approach to pressure is straightforward.
"You don't really manage stress, you deal with it," he says. "You face the problem head-on and get it solved. That's the only way I know."
It's a philosophy shaped decades ago, long before Double AA existed, in a place that taught him more than basketball.
The Boys Club That Taught Him to Compete
The Columbia Park Boys Club in San Francisco, now part of the Boys and Girls Club network, gave Aish structure when he needed it most. The club taught him about right and wrong, about working toward something tangible. Plaques on the wall recognized "boy of the month" or "boy of the year." It motivated him.
Wisfe Aish wasn't a star athlete. He started on the C team in basketball and worked his way up to the A team through repetition and drive. It wasn't natural talent that got him there, it was showing up and pushing through.
"I wasn't a great basketball player, but I worked my way up from the C team to the A team through drive and practice," he says. "It wasn't just about the game, they made sure we learned sportsmanship, like always shaking hands after a match and keeping a good attitude."
That experience planted a belief that still drives him. If someone else can do it, so can he. The Boys Club didn't just teach him to play a game. It taught him how to compete, how to lose with dignity, and how to keep trying when the odds weren't in his favor.
Those lessons carried into business. Double AA Corporation operates in a sector where relationships matter as much as price points. The company offers 24/7 customer service, seven-day delivery, and dedicated in-house dispatchers.
Aish credits his team for the company's growth. Success, in his view, isn't about personal milestones. It's about whether the people around him are thriving.
"I don't think I'll ever reach a point where I say, 'I'm successful,'" he says. "In my mind, there's always room for improvement. For me, success is measured by how well my team is doing. If they're thriving, that means I'm doing something right."
Aish admires leaders who communicate without ambiguity. Willie L. Brown, Jr, the former mayor of San Francisco, is one of them.
"He has this way of breaking down complex situations and explaining them in black and white," Aish says. "There's no gray with him. If you don't understand, he'll explain it from another angle until you do."
That kind of clarity influences how Aish runs Double AA Corporation. The company's operations are built around responsiveness and simplicity. Sales representatives and technical teams are available around the clock. Deliveries happen seven days a week. Clients get inventory management support and competitive pricing on unbranded gasoline, diesel and biofuels.
Double AA Corporation also partners with station owners, offering corporate representatives who visit frequently to assist with business development. For clients who choose to brand with 76, Valero or DoubleTime, the company provides turnkey image packages, group discount pricing with retail vendors, and CFN accessibility.
The business model is straightforward. Provide quality fuel and services, offer flexible payment terms, be available when clients need support. It's a formula that has kept Double AA Corporation competitive in California's crowded fuel market for more than two decades.
Aish also brings that same focus to real estate development, where his projects reflect long-term vision and community value. But his work doesn't stop at building businesses or managing properties.
Aish supports schools, churches, mosques, sports programs and senior housing. Much of his giving happens anonymously. He doesn't do it for recognition. He does it because it feels right.
"I've always believed in helping others," he says. "Early on, if I found a better or cleaner way to do something, I'd share it with the industry. Sometimes it backfired because competitors would use it against me, but it never stopped me from wanting to give without expecting recognition."
Children, in particular, move him. If he sees a child in need, he finds a way to help. His connection to the San Francisco Boys and Girls Club remains a guiding force in his philanthropy. The organization gave him structure and opportunity when he was young, and he's committed to ensuring others have access to the same support.
"Kids especially hit home for me,” he says. “if I see a child in need, I'll find a way to help."
His approach to philanthropy mirrors his approach to business; practical, quiet. on results rather than applause. He believes entrepreneurship and philanthropy should work together to create lasting change, and he directs resources toward causes that provide pathways for underserved youth, strengthen local communities and expand access to education.
For Aish, every act of giving carries meaning. It's not about the size of the donation or the visibility of the cause. It's about connection.
"For me, every act of giving is meaningful," he says. "It makes me feel closer to God and reminds me that I matter to others. That's why I love to help, every opportunity leaves a mark on me."
Aish doesn't see an endpoint. There's always more to build, more to improve, more people to support. Double AA Corporation continues to expand its operations across California, deepening partnerships with major petroleum companies and advancing renewable fuel offerings. The company's commitment to customer service and operational excellence remains central to its growth.
But Aish measures progress differently than most business leaders. He doesn't focus on revenue targets or market share. He looks at his team and makes sure they are doing well and growing.
"Personally, I always feel there's more to achieve," he says.
That restlessness comes from the same place as his work ethic. From the jobs he worked to survive. From the Boys Club that taught him to keep pushing. From the family he needed to feed and the education he never finished.
If he could go back and change one thing, it would be that. But he can't go back, so he made education non-negotiable for his own children. Finish school no matter what, he told them. Learn what he didn't have the chance to learn.
“If I could go back, I’d tell myself to finish school,” he says. “I didn’t finish high school, and later on, when I was growing my company or in meetings, I sometimes felt I couldn’t express myself the way I wanted. That’s why I made it a priority for my kids to finish their education no matter what.”
Now, decades into a career built on necessity and grit, Aish continues to run Double AA Corporation with the same approach that got him here. Face problems head-on. Help others when you can. Keep moving forward.
There's no finish line in sight. Just the next challenge, the next opportunity to make a difference, the next chance to prove that if someone else can do it, so can he.
