The University of South Florida is working on expanding the Muma College of Business to include a new career center and pipeline for talent in the Tampa Bay area. On March 24, USF announced a $10.6 million gift and grand opening of a new building and career-centered program for students. The gift comes from Arnold F. “Arnie” and Lauren Bellini, USF alumni, and parents to a USF MBA student.
The Bellini Center at USF
Arnie Bellini strongly believes in the power of the university to grow the Tampa area in economic opportunity. After he graduated with his MBA in 1982, Arnie and his brother David co-founded ConnectWise Inc., a Tampa IT support business. Over four decades they grew the business and revolutionized a $200+ billion managed service industry. Today, Arnie is CEO of Bellini Capital and wants to give back a piece of his fortune to where he started at USF.
The new program will be hosted in the Bellini Center for Talent Development, adjacent to the WUSF Public Media building on the Tampa campus. The three-year certification program will enroll freshman at the beginning of their studies to help them develop professional skills alongside their academic studies. The program will teach soft skills employers are looking for and help Tampa-area employers find unique talent directly from the university.
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Students will feel prepared for internships and skilled positions in the workforce immediately upon graduation. As well as classroom time and mentorship, the students will be able to practice what they’ve learned through one-day internships, practice interviews, and more.
Arnie has high hopes for the impact the new center can make, stating: “The biggest challenge in business is finding, attracting and keeping great talent. The ‘go’ button for business growth has been pushed in Florida, specifically in the Tampa Bay area, and now we can promise employers a talent pipeline that will meet all their needs.”
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USF students and faculty now have a new space dedicated to career growth. With an increasingly competitive job market, students are looking for universities that can help them gain a competitive edge upon graduation.
“The Bellini Center is revolutionary, a space and program dedicated to both student and business success,” said Moez Limayem, the Lynn Pippenger Dean of the Muma College of Business. “Thanks to the Bellinis, from their first year in college, our students will be career-focused and guided by a team of advisors who help them chart their course and gain the internships they need to achieve their goals.”