"We are thrilled to relocate our corporate headquarters to St. Petersburg, Florida, as we believe the Tampa Bay region's talent, innovative spirit, and quality of life will accelerate our growth initiatives," stated Cathie Wood, ARK's Founder, CEO, and Chief Investment Officer in their recent press release. "ARK is not a traditional Wall Street asset management firm, and we are looking forward to breaking the mold further by relocating to St. Petersburg, a city investing in technology, science, and innovation.
Our relocation and the ARK Innovation Center will allow us to be more innovative and to impact the broader community while shining a spotlight on the technological advances and creativity permeating the Tampa Bay region." The new headquarters will be in the heart of downtown at 200 Central. While a substantial number of employees have chosen to relocate and work in the office, ARK's hybrid back-to-work model will harness technology to accommodate working remotely.
In tandem with the relocation, ARK is collaborating with the Tampa Bay Innovation Center on a new incubator that Pinellas County will build and own. The incubator, designated as ARK Innovation Center, is scheduled to open in July 2023 and will be located at 4th Street South and 11th Avenue South in the St. Pete Innovation District.
By 2026, the 45,000-square-foot building is expected to impact the county by $28 million thanks to the 1,265 direct and indirect jobs expected. Moreover, its clients and graduates are expected to generate $127 million in annual revenue.
To learn more about the move: ARK Investment Relocates-Plans St. Petersburg, Florida, Corporate Headquarters - Area Development
source: SPID October Newsletter
The University of South Florida (USF) has announced its intention to create a college focused on the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity and computing, with the goal of positioning the Tampa Bay region and state of Florida as a national leader. USF is the first university in Florida and among the first in the nation to announce plans to create a college dedicated to AI and cybersecurity.
The U.S. had landed on the moon again after 50 years. Kudos to Lonestar Data Holdings, a Maritime and Defense Technology Hub tenant, for being part of this remarkable event.
It is no surprise that we are talking frequently in the Innovation District about future technologies and how they have the potential to solve the "unsolvable" problems and radically change lives. Two such discussions recently highlighted advancements in artificial intelligence (AI)