Some of the most compelling arguments for relocating to St. Pete don’t come from us — they come from the executives who made the move themselves. Jarrett Wolfe founded SmartChoice Communications in New York City and spent his entire adult life building it there. He wasn’t looking for a change. Then a friend suggested a trip to St. Petersburg, and within months he and his family had bought a home here. Today, SmartChoice occupies 6,800 square feet at 360 Central Ave. with a team of approximately 30 and is actively hiring.
What made him stay? In a recent Tampa Bay Business Journal profile with reporter Anjelica Rubin, Wolfe puts it simply: “Instead of the Sunshine City, it should be called the ‘Helping City’ because everybody helps everybody become successful.”
It’s a pattern we see consistently. Companies that relocate to St. Pete find not just a great place to work, but a ready talent pipeline of young professionals who chose this city for its quality of life and are looking for opportunities here — not the other way around. As TBBJ reported last fall, nearly half of downtown St. Pete’s population is under 35. SmartChoice’s own team reflects that reality, as St. Pete EDC CEO Mike Swesey noted in a September 2025 editorial.
Read Wolfe’s full story here: “SmartChoice CEO Jarrett Wolfe swore he’d never leave NYC. Now, he’s St. Pete’s biggest fan“
For more about SmartChoice, visit https://smartchoiceus.com/.
If you’re curious what St. Pete could look like for your company, let’s talk.
