Transformative investment in Miami strengthens the Gold Coast’s position as a global center for talent, innovation and company growth

The Florida Council of 100 today celebrated Ken Griffin’s $3 billion gift to Carnegie Mellon University to establish a campus in Miami, the largest gift in higher education history and a defining investment in Florida’s emergence as a place where the next generation of great American companies will be built.

The announcement brings extraordinary new strength to Florida’s economy, connecting world-class research and talent with the entrepreneurs, business leaders and capital increasingly making the state their home.

“Ken Griffin has made a historic investment in Florida’s capacity to lead,” said George LeMieux, chair of The Florida Council of 100. “Great research universities help build great economies. Bringing Carnegie Mellon to Miami will have an impact for generations, strengthening Florida’s position at the forefront of American innovation and opening new paths to prosperity for Floridians.”

The investment advances the economic opportunity outlined in the Council’s Beyond Sunshine roadmap: building on regional strengths to grow globally competitive industries and create higher-wage careers. A Carnegie Mellon campus in Miami adds a powerful new source of research and talent to Florida’s Gold Coast, strengthening the foundations for company formation and growth across the state.

“Florida is where the next generation of great American companies will be built, and Ken Griffin’s investment dramatically accelerates that future,” said Michael Simas, president and CEO of The Florida Council of 100. “We have the ambition, the business leadership and the capital. Carnegie Mellon brings extraordinary new depth to the research and talent that turn big ideas into great companies. Florida’s business community is ready to put its full weight behind this opportunity and help build companies, industries and careers that will define our state for decades.”

Griffin's contribution also builds on the work underway through Ambition Accelerated, a statewide economic-development and company building platform powered by The Florida Council of 100 and its Foundation, which includes a $10 million initiative seeded by Griffin and Related Ross CEO and Chairman Stephen M. Ross to strengthen the Gold Coast as a place to start and grow ambitious companies. For the Gold Coast, spanning Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, the announcement elevates the region's ability to compete internationally for talent, investment and the industries of the future.

“This puts the Gold Coast in a different league,” said Rodney Barreto, vice chair of The Florida Council of 100. “We are building a region where the world’s most ambitious founders, researchers and investors can come together to create great companies. Ken Griffin’s investment gives that ambition extraordinary force. The measure of our success will be the businesses built here, the careers created here and the opportunities opened for all Floridians.”

The Council stands ready to mobilize its business leaders to help translate this investment into industry partnerships, new companies and pathways into high-demand careers for Floridians.

About The Florida Council of 100
The Florida Council of 100 is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that brings together the CEOs of Florida’s leading companies to strengthen the state’s long-term competitiveness, expand economic opportunity for future generations, and advance solutions that better the lives of all Floridians.

The Council identifies Florida’s greatest economic opportunities and challenges, convenes business, government, academic, and community leaders around practical solutions, and builds initiatives that create lasting economic impact. Through research, collaboration, and business-led action, the Council works to help Florida build stronger industries, create higher-wage jobs, develop talent, improve quality of life, and remain one of the best places in America to build a business.

Founded in 1961 at the request of Governor Farris Bryant, the Council brings together CEOs who believe business success carries a responsibility to help shape Florida’s future. Today, the Council represents more than 200 companies employing over 1.3 million Floridians.