Florida Council of 100 Pivots to Regional Tech Hubs Under CEO Mike Simas

The Florida Council of 100 has shifted its operational focus from broad statewide advocacy to targeted regional economic development, launching specific initiatives aimed at retaining high-growth technology and defense firms along the state’s southeastern corridor. This strategic realignment, led by President and CEO Michael “Mike” Simas since 2024, marks a departure from traditional business group lobbying toward direct capital formation and industry-specific ecosystem building.

Central to this new approach is the Gold Coast Tech Accelerator, a program designed to bridge the gap between emerging companies and established corporate buyers in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Unlike general startup incubators that focus primarily on early-stage mentorship, this accelerator targets fintech and dual-use defense companies with proven traction, connecting them directly with CEOs, institutional capital, and procurement opportunities. The initiative addresses a persistent structural weakness in Florida’s innovation economy: the abundance of early-stage startups but a shortage of mid-market scale-ups capable of securing large enterprise contracts without relocating to traditional tech hubs like New York or San Francisco.

To fund this expansion, the Council secured a $10 million commitment from prominent investors Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin. This private capital underwrites an economic development campaign specifically positioning the Gold Coast as a destination for mature companies rather than just individual talent. Ross, a major real estate developer with extensive South Florida holdings, and Griffin, founder of Citadel who relocated his hedge fund headquarters to Miami, represent the type of anchor investor necessary to validate the region’s competitiveness against other emerging tech corridors such as Austin, Texas, and Atlanta.

Simas’ strategy builds upon “Beyond Sunshine,” a comprehensive economic roadmap released shortly after he assumed leadership. That report identified critical gaps in Florida’s ability to convert population growth and capital inflows into sustainable industrial output. While previous Council efforts often emphasized general business climate improvements, the current agenda prioritizes sector-specific interventions. The Ambition Accelerated program, originally piloted in South Florida, is now being adapted for statewide deployment to replicate the Gold Coast model in other regions with distinct industrial bases.

The Council’s pivot reflects broader changes in how state-level business organizations operate amid intense interstate competition for mobile capital. Traditional chambers of commerce have historically focused on regulatory relief and workforce training, but modern economic development increasingly requires curated deal flow and specialized infrastructure. By leveraging its membership of more than 200 top CEOs as active participants rather than passive dues-payers, the organization functions less as a trade association and more as a quasi-public development entity.

Simas brought experience from both public policy and private financial services to the role, having previously served as Executive Vice President of the Partnership for New York City. In that capacity, he coordinated Fortune 500 leaders on urban innovation and policy, a model that closely mirrors the Council’s current CEO-driven approach. His background also includes serving as Chief of Staff to the Co-CEO of First Republic Bank and leading Northeast Government Relations for General Electric, providing him with operational experience in highly regulated industries similar to those the Council now targets.

The Gold Coast initiative arrives as Florida faces increasing pressure to demonstrate tangible returns on its tax incentives and quality-of-life investments. With remote work patterns stabilizing and corporate relocation decisions becoming more selective, the state must offer more than favorable demographics to retain expanding firms. The Council’s emphasis on dual-use defense technology aligns with federal spending priorities and leverages Florida’s existing military infrastructure, while the fintech focus capitalizes on the state’s growing concentration of wealth management and banking assets.

Current efforts are concentrated on executing the Gold Coast campaign and scaling the Ambition Accelerated framework to additional regions, with success measured by company retention rates, capital raised by participant firms, and new corporate relocations to the tri-county area.