Arnie Bellini is an American businessman, technology entrepreneur and advocate of sustainability. He is the founder and CEO of Bellini Capital and founder of ConnectWise, a business management software company based in Tampa, Florida. In 2019, ConnectWise sold for $1.5 billion, making it the first Tampa Bay-based technology company to reach unicorn status.[1][2][3][4]
Bellini has been involved in initiatives related to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, modernization of education, and natural resource preservation.
Bellini has participated in sustainability efforts in Florida, including involvement in the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act and founding of the nonprofit LiveWildly.com.[8]
Bellini began his career as a technology consultant with Price Waterhouse from 1981 to 1982.[13]
In 1982, Bellini founded ConnectWise, a business automation platform for technology service and managed service providers that became a leader and innovator in the industry.[14][1][15][3] In 2014, Bellini was awarded EY’s Technology Entrepreneur of the Year.[16] ConnectWise grew under Bellini’s tenure to over 1,200 employees and $250 million annual recurring revenue before being sold in 2019 to private equity firm Thoma Bravo for $1.5 billion.[14][17][4] Following the sale, 74 employees became millionaires.[2][4]
After the sale of ConnectWise, Bellini founded Bellini Capital, where he serves as CEO.[14] The firm invests in cybersecurity software, services, and related fields, and has stated a focus on environmental considerations alongside business growth.[18]
In 2025 Bellini was named Tampa Bay Wave’s 2025 Tampa Tech Legend.[19]
Cybersecurity
Bellini has supported collaborations intended to expand cybersecurity education, workforce development, and the growth of technology companies in the Tampa Bay area.[20][21]
In 2025, Bellini, CyberFlorida and the University of South Florida launched the CyberBay Summit, an annual cybersecurity conference held in Tampa Bay.[20][21] The event brought together participants from artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, academia, government, and the military.[20][21]
Community involvement
After the sale of ConnectWise, Bellini announced an objective to create 70,000 technology jobs in Tampa Bay while also supporting environmental conservation. Subsequent initiatives expanded to other parts of Florida and have focused on the use of advanced technology in education, job creation, and environmental sustainability.[22]
Sustainability
Bellini was involved in efforts supporting the 2021 Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which designated 18 million acres of land as Florida’s Wildlife Corridor. To date, the initiative has secured $2.1 billion in state funding and $348 million of county funding for the conservation of these lands.[23] As of 2024, these efforts have protected 264,000 acres of land from development.[23]
In 2022, Bellini founded LiveWildly.com, a nonprofit dedicated to the balance of Florida’s economy with its ecology. The foundation educates Floridians about the Florida Wildlife Corridor, collaborates with other conservation organizations, and encourages landowners within the Corridor to apply for conservation easements created by state funding.[8][24][17] He also funded and served as executive producer for Protect our Paradise, a docuseries examining the threat facing Florida’s wildlife, water, and land due to factors like climate change and population growth.[25][26] In 2025, the series and Bellini received a Suncoast Emmy Award.[27]
In 2024, Bellini worked with Polk County, Florida to preserve 639 acres of land and create the Bellini Preserve which serves as a public park and displays the balance of economy and ecology.[28][29]
In 2025, Bellini and his wife Lauren, purchased Eagle Haven Ranch on Lake Kissimmee protecting 2,903 acres of the Florida Wildlife Corridor from being developed into a subdivision. The property is now permanently protected through federal conservation programs facilitated by Conservation Florida.[30]
Education
Bellini supports modernizing education through partnerships with various institutions. In 2022, the Bellinis donated $10.6 million to establish the Bellini Center for Talent Development at the University of South Florida which provides career services, training, and internships for students.[31] The Center connects students to job opportunities in the Tampa Bay business community and has a 90% job placement rate for students who participate in internships.[32] All 8,000 students in USF’s Muma College of Business and Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing engage with the Center as part of their curriculum.[31][33]
In 2025, the Bellinis donated $40 million to establish the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing at the University of South Florida.[34] Their gift was the largest in USF’s history.[34] The College curriculum addresses the growing need of cybersecurity professionals in the United States and contributes to the development of Tampa Bay’s growing cybersecurity sector, positioning Tampa as 'Cyber Bay.'[5] It was the first named school in the United States to combine both cybersecurity and AI education in one college.[5]
As of 2025, Bellini and his wife Lauren have donated $15 million to Tampa Catholic High School to support the creation of the Bellini Center for the Arts.[10][35] The Center for the Arts nurtures creativity and prepares students for the future, especially as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into society. The donation represents the largest contribution ever made to a Catholic school in Florida.[35] The 28,000 square-foot facility scheduled to open in June 2025 will offer spaces for art, computer graphics, video production, and performing arts while also supporting community outreach enhancing access to the arts.[10][35]
The Bellinis donated $1 million to St Leo University to create a modern cybersecurity curriculum to address the 4.8 million global job openings in cybersecurity.[7][36]
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