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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arnie Bellini
Born
Alma mater University of Florida, University of South Florida,
Occupation(s)Business executive, investor

Arnie Bellini is an American business executive and philanthropist. [1] He was the co-founder and first CEO of ConnectWise, a business management software company based in Tampa, Florida [2] [3] that he sold for $1.5 billion in 2019. [1] In 2020, he started the investment firm Bellini Capital focused on investments in Tampa Bay. [4]

Bellini is the founder of a nonprofit called Live Wildly whose mission is to conserve Florida’s greenspaces and wildlife corridors. [5] He has lobbied for the preservation of wildlands in his home state of Florida. [6] He is also an endurance swimmer who crossed the English Channel in 2013 at the age of 54. [7]

Early life and education

Bellini grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana until the age of 12. [2] He later moved to Tampa, Florida, where his father worked for IBM. [2] Bellini graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1975. [8] He received a degree from the University of Florida [8] before receiving an MBA from the University of South Florida in 1982. [9]

Career

In 1982 Bellini co-founded the software company ConnectWise along with his brother, initially operating out of their parents’ spare bedroom. [8] Bellini served as CEO and his brother, David Bellini, served as president. [3] Bellini started the company with the intention of growing it in the Tampa Bay area; [9] by 2014, the company employed nearly 600 people in Tampa. [10] Bellini prioritized hiring locally. [2] In 2019 Bellini sold ConnectWise [11] to the private equity firm Thoma Bravo [12] for $1.5 billion. [9] Bellini founded the investment firm Bellini Capital in 2019 [13]and serves as CEO. [14]

Philanthropy

In 2021, through his philanthropic organization Bellini Better World Foundation, Bellini hired lobbyists to advocate on behalf of a $300 million state conservation land acquisition program in Florida. [6] In 2022 he founded a nonprofit called Live Wildly that works to preserve Florida’s greenspaces and wildlife corridors. [5] Also in 2022, Bellini and his wife, Lauren, donated $10.6 million toward the establishment of the Bellini Center for Talent Development at the University of South Florida. [9] In 2024, Bellini donated $15 million to Tampa Catholic High School for the continued funding of an arts center he established there in 2019. [15]

Personal life

Bellini is a triathlete. [16] He is also an endurance swimmer who has completed swims around the island of Manhattan, and from Santa Catalina Island to Los Angeles. [3] In 2013, at the age of 54, he swam across the English Channel, [7] becoming the 50th person over the age of 50 to do so. [17] Bellini lives in Clearwater, Florida with his wife, Lauren. [18] They have two sons, Arnold and Peter. [2]

References

  1. ^ a b Montgomery, Ben (21 June 2022). "The man behind the push to save wild Florida". Axios. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Szymanski, Dave (12 October 2007). "In the Family". Business Observer. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Trigaux, Robert (13 April 2016). "Can Tampa tech firm ConnectWise achieve national success? CEO Arnie Bellini hopes so". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. ^ Coffey, Lauren (11 September 2020). "ConnectWise co-founder launches investment firm as part of $70M plan to grow Tampa Bay's tech scene". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Solomons, Gaylene (16 October 2023). "Creating a Path for the Panther". Naples Illustrated. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b Ritchie, Bruce (26 April 2021). "Tech founder helps push new conservation program to finish line in the Legislature". Politico. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b Fennelly, Martin (10 November 2013). "Lessons to be learned from the deep: Never ending belief helps Bellini conquer the English Channel". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 15 December 2023. "In early September, Bellini, 54, swam the English Channel on his second attempt."
  8. ^ a b c Morgan, Phillip (21 May 2019). "Graduate who founded tech firm ConnectWise gives Tampa Catholic a $7 million gift". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d Kumar, Divya (24 March 2022). "USF center eyes a goal: someday, a guaranteed job for every business grad". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  10. ^ Thailji, Jamal (26 February 2014). "Tampa IT company to add 112 jobs". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  11. ^ Sowers, Lloyd (1 August 2022). "Tampa Bay tech tycoon turns his talents to protecting Florida's wildlife". FOX13. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  12. ^ Danielson, Richard (25 February 2019). "Silicon Valley firm to buy Tampa's ConnectWise, making millionaires out of scores of its employees". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  13. ^ Coffey, Lauren (11 September 2020). "ConnectWise co-founder launches investment firm as part of $70M plan to grow Tampa Bay's tech scene". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 10 January 2024. The Bellinis are now sharing details of the latest piece of their plan: Bellini Capital. Founded in 2019, it invests in technology companies that are either based in the Tampa Bay region, have a majority of their company in the region or are willing to relocate.
  14. ^ Olsen, Jillian (24 March 2022). "USF receives $10.6 million gift to build talent center". WTSP. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  15. ^ Kumar, Divya (25 January 2024). "$15M gift fuels Tampa Catholic arts center, fulfilling 'a pledge to God'". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  16. ^ Fennelly, Martin (10 November 2013). "Lessons to be learned from the deep: Never ending belief helps Bellini conquer the English Channel". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 15 December 2023. After Arnie Bellini turned 50, he completed three Ironman triathlons.
  17. ^ Walsh, Larry (6 September 2013). "Arnie Bellini Conquers the English Channel". Channel Buzz. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  18. ^ Taylor Martin, Susan (6 September 2019). "Co-founder of Tampa firm ConnectWise buys two Clearwater Beach gulf-front parcels for $20.25 million". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arnie Bellini
Born
Alma mater University of Florida, University of South Florida,
Occupation(s)Business executive, investor

Arnie Bellini is an American business executive and philanthropist. [1] He was the co-founder and first CEO of ConnectWise, a business management software company based in Tampa, Florida [2] [3] that he sold for $1.5 billion in 2019. [1] In 2020, he started the investment firm Bellini Capital focused on investments in Tampa Bay. [4]

Bellini is the founder of a nonprofit called Live Wildly whose mission is to conserve Florida’s greenspaces and wildlife corridors. [5] He has lobbied for the preservation of wildlands in his home state of Florida. [6] He is also an endurance swimmer who crossed the English Channel in 2013 at the age of 54. [7]

Early life and education

Bellini grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana until the age of 12. [2] He later moved to Tampa, Florida, where his father worked for IBM. [2] Bellini graduated from Tampa Catholic High School in 1975. [8] He received a degree from the University of Florida [8] before receiving an MBA from the University of South Florida in 1982. [9]

Career

In 1982 Bellini co-founded the software company ConnectWise along with his brother, initially operating out of their parents’ spare bedroom. [8] Bellini served as CEO and his brother, David Bellini, served as president. [3] Bellini started the company with the intention of growing it in the Tampa Bay area; [9] by 2014, the company employed nearly 600 people in Tampa. [10] Bellini prioritized hiring locally. [2] In 2019 Bellini sold ConnectWise [11] to the private equity firm Thoma Bravo [12] for $1.5 billion. [9] Bellini founded the investment firm Bellini Capital in 2019 [13]and serves as CEO. [14]

Philanthropy

In 2021, through his philanthropic organization Bellini Better World Foundation, Bellini hired lobbyists to advocate on behalf of a $300 million state conservation land acquisition program in Florida. [6] In 2022 he founded a nonprofit called Live Wildly that works to preserve Florida’s greenspaces and wildlife corridors. [5] Also in 2022, Bellini and his wife, Lauren, donated $10.6 million toward the establishment of the Bellini Center for Talent Development at the University of South Florida. [9] In 2024, Bellini donated $15 million to Tampa Catholic High School for the continued funding of an arts center he established there in 2019. [15]

Personal life

Bellini is a triathlete. [16] He is also an endurance swimmer who has completed swims around the island of Manhattan, and from Santa Catalina Island to Los Angeles. [3] In 2013, at the age of 54, he swam across the English Channel, [7] becoming the 50th person over the age of 50 to do so. [17] Bellini lives in Clearwater, Florida with his wife, Lauren. [18] They have two sons, Arnold and Peter. [2]

References

  1. ^ a b Montgomery, Ben (21 June 2022). "The man behind the push to save wild Florida". Axios. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Szymanski, Dave (12 October 2007). "In the Family". Business Observer. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Trigaux, Robert (13 April 2016). "Can Tampa tech firm ConnectWise achieve national success? CEO Arnie Bellini hopes so". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  4. ^ Coffey, Lauren (11 September 2020). "ConnectWise co-founder launches investment firm as part of $70M plan to grow Tampa Bay's tech scene". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Solomons, Gaylene (16 October 2023). "Creating a Path for the Panther". Naples Illustrated. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  6. ^ a b Ritchie, Bruce (26 April 2021). "Tech founder helps push new conservation program to finish line in the Legislature". Politico. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b Fennelly, Martin (10 November 2013). "Lessons to be learned from the deep: Never ending belief helps Bellini conquer the English Channel". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 15 December 2023. "In early September, Bellini, 54, swam the English Channel on his second attempt."
  8. ^ a b c Morgan, Phillip (21 May 2019). "Graduate who founded tech firm ConnectWise gives Tampa Catholic a $7 million gift". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d Kumar, Divya (24 March 2022). "USF center eyes a goal: someday, a guaranteed job for every business grad". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  10. ^ Thailji, Jamal (26 February 2014). "Tampa IT company to add 112 jobs". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  11. ^ Sowers, Lloyd (1 August 2022). "Tampa Bay tech tycoon turns his talents to protecting Florida's wildlife". FOX13. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  12. ^ Danielson, Richard (25 February 2019). "Silicon Valley firm to buy Tampa's ConnectWise, making millionaires out of scores of its employees". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  13. ^ Coffey, Lauren (11 September 2020). "ConnectWise co-founder launches investment firm as part of $70M plan to grow Tampa Bay's tech scene". Tampa Bay Business Journal. Retrieved 10 January 2024. The Bellinis are now sharing details of the latest piece of their plan: Bellini Capital. Founded in 2019, it invests in technology companies that are either based in the Tampa Bay region, have a majority of their company in the region or are willing to relocate.
  14. ^ Olsen, Jillian (24 March 2022). "USF receives $10.6 million gift to build talent center". WTSP. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  15. ^ Kumar, Divya (25 January 2024). "$15M gift fuels Tampa Catholic arts center, fulfilling 'a pledge to God'". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  16. ^ Fennelly, Martin (10 November 2013). "Lessons to be learned from the deep: Never ending belief helps Bellini conquer the English Channel". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 15 December 2023. After Arnie Bellini turned 50, he completed three Ironman triathlons.
  17. ^ Walsh, Larry (6 September 2013). "Arnie Bellini Conquers the English Channel". Channel Buzz. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  18. ^ Taylor Martin, Susan (6 September 2019). "Co-founder of Tampa firm ConnectWise buys two Clearwater Beach gulf-front parcels for $20.25 million". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 7 December 2023.

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