A $10 million regional marketing campaign funded by billionaires Ken Griffin and Stephen Ross represents a strategic shift in how South Florida markets itself to corporate America, positioning the Gold Coast as a unified economic corridor rather than competing individual cities. The "Ambition Accelerated" initiative debuted at the WSJ Invest Live conference in West Palm Beach on February 2 and targets CEOs and founders in high-cost cities with messaging about South Florida's collective advantages.
Larry Mastropieri, CEO of The Mastropieri Group, explains that the campaign reflects recognition that South Florida's economic transformation requires coordinated messaging. "The campaign frames the Gold Coast as one unified corridor, which fundamentally changes how executives evaluate relocation decisions," Mastropieri says. This approach addresses historical fragmentation where Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton often competed against each other rather than collectively positioning against traditional business capitals like New York, Chicago, and California.
The campaign goes beyond traditional advertising to include concierge services connecting relocating executives with practical infrastructure details that determine whether relocation discussions convert to actual moves. These services provide workforce data, office inventory, school timelines, and neighborhood guidance through resources like discoversouthflorida.com.
The timing aligns with measurable corporate migration patterns. Over the past five years, 140-plus companies relocated to Palm Beach County, creating 13,110 jobs and $1.12 billion in capital investment. Wealth migration has been particularly dramatic, with West Palm Beach experiencing a 112% increase in millionaires over the past decade and Miami recording 94% growth – both surpassing New York as the world's fastest-growing wealth hubs.
D-Wave Quantum's decision to relocate its global headquarters from Palo Alto to Boca Raton's Innovation Campus exemplifies the corporate migration the campaign aims to accelerate. The quantum computing firm leased 25,000 square feet with transition expected by end of 2026, joining California companies departing partly driven by the state's proposed 5% wealth tax. Florida Atlantic University committed $20 million to install a D-Wave Advantage2 quantum computer on campus, creating direct talent pipeline between university and tech corridor.
The Griffin-Ross campaign targets specific pain points driving corporate relocations: tax burden, operational costs, talent availability, and quality of life factors. New York and Chicago executives face state and local tax rates that can exceed 13%, while Florida maintains zero state income tax. Office space costs in Manhattan average $80-100 per square foot versus $35-45 in West Palm Beach.
Beyond economics, the campaign emphasizes lifestyle factors that have become more relevant in post-pandemic corporate location decisions. South Florida offers climate, recreation, and international connectivity without the density and operational complexity of traditional business capitals. For South Florida's real estate markets, sustained corporate migration creates upward pressure on office, residential, and hospitality sectors simultaneously as each relocated company brings executives requiring housing, employees seeking rentals, and visiting clients needing accommodations.
"This isn't just about one quantum computing company – it's about infrastructure, talent pipelines, and the kind of ecosystem that keeps companies anchored long-term," Mastropieri notes. The $10 million investment signals confidence that coordinated regional marketing can accelerate corporate migration trends already in motion, potentially creating self-reinforcing momentum as each successful relocation makes the next decision easier for companies evaluating similar moves.
