More than 1,000 attendees gathered at the inaugural CyberBay 2025 conference in Tampa Bay to address cybersecurity challenges and highlight the region’s growing role as a center for cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and national security. The event featured a simulated cyberattack performed through dance and motion to help visualize the risks that are often difficult to convey.
The conference was hosted by Bellini Capital in partnership with the University of South Florida (USF) and Cyber Florida. Discussions during the three-day event focused on innovation, education, military, and government, with an emphasis on training future cybersecurity leaders.
Sudeep Sarkar, distinguished university professor and launch dean of the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, said: “CyberBay has provided many exciting opportunities for connections and building bridges. One of the most exciting parts for me is that it provides a way for industry leaders to see the talent here at USF. Not just our faculty talent, but the future workforce talent that we are producing.”
Arnie Bellini, founder and CEO of Bellini Capital, addressed participants: “We are already the United States of America’s cybersecurity center of excellence. We need to work together in a synergistic way to overcome the challenges that we’re going to see coming into the future.”
Following Bellini’s $40 million gift, USF’s Bellini College welcomed its first group of students this fall. Plans are underway for a new dedicated building on USF’s Tampa campus. USF President Rhea Law commented: “It’s going to be a space worthy of innovation, collaboration and talent. All of that defines this extraordinary college and university. Make no mistake, this college is going to have an impact on all colleges across the university and across all of our campuses.”
During her remarks at CyberBay, Law announced a $1 million gift to the Bellini College with a matching contribution from philanthropists Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton. Arnie Bellini also pledged to match every additional dollar donated up to $5 million through what he called the Bellini Challenge.
Bellini presented $100,000 checks to each mayor of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater for USF faculty-led training programs aimed at improving city cybersecurity capabilities. The funds will also support CyberHerd—a student team recognized nationally—to assess municipal digital infrastructure.
Plans for next year’s CyberBay conference are already underway; it is scheduled for March 12-13, 2026 in Tampa.
