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Arnie Bellini built his Tampa tech firm ConnectWise from the ground up, then sold it for an estimated $1.5 billion, a deal so big that more than 70 workers at the employee-owned business became millionaires.
What they're saying: "I'm pursuing this just like I would a tech startup," Bellini, 63, told Axios. "We're not taking your normal approach to it. We're not hugging trees. We can hug trees. We like hugging trees. But we're asking: How do we balance economy and ecology? And we're approaching this in a very aggressive way."
Why it matters: 900 people move to Florida every day, and that pace of population growth alongside poor environmental stewardship has jeopardized the fresh water supply and entire species of wildlife.
Driving the news: Bellini, who led the charge to get the state to pass the $300 million Florida Wildlife Corridor Act a year ago, is now putting $5 million toward a new statewide media and advertising campaign called Live Wildly.
Details: Live Wildly is launching a PSA campaign on radio, TV and online that highlights the corridor's role in Florida's ecology and economy.
The backstory: Why would a man who could afford a $9.25 million home on Clearwater Beach give a tortoise’s tush about the environment? Balance.
The big picture: Bellini and his wife Lauren announced plans in 2019 to dedicate $70 million to local workforce projects, intending to create 70,000 jobs in seven years.
Yes, but: That level of growth would mean paving half of Hillsborough County, he told Axios.
Flashback: In 2006, Bellini saw a Florida panther on the boardwalk leading to the lake behind his home in Avila — the big cat was on its back, batting at a butterfly.
What's next: His mission is to give every Floridian that same experience: coming face to face with wild Florida.
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