In a recent Business Insider interview, Carlos Questell — Chief of Staff and Head of Strategic Partnerships at Webull — shared the story of leading his company’s headquarters relocation from New York City to St. Pete. It’s a candid, first-person account of a decision that wasn’t easy, but one he says he’d make again — earlier.
Webull evaluated a long list of cities — Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Raleigh, Miami, Denver, Salt Lake City — against clear criteria: business-friendly environment, strong talent pipeline, and quality of life good enough to make an in-office culture feel like a perk, not a mandate. St. Pete checked every box. Miami, despite Florida’s obvious advantages, didn’t make the cut — Questell was wary of oversaturation and wanted Webull to be one of the anchors shaping a market, not just another name in a crowded one.
What he found when he got here surprised him. As Questell told Business Insider, a colleague put it best: “St. Petersburg reminded her of Austin about 10 years ago, a place on the verge of real growth.” He couldn’t agree more. The company purchased a five-story, 150,000-square-foot building in St. Pete’s Gateway/Carillon district and now has more than 150 employees based here.
Questell’s advice for any executive weighing a similar move: reach out to the economic development organization in the city you’re considering. For Webull, that meant contacting the St. Petersburg Area Economic Development Corporation — which connected them with other relocated companies and gave them a candid, ground-level view of the process.
His only regret? That Webull didn’t make the move sooner.
Read the full story in Business Insider: “I led my company’s move from Wall Street to Florida. Here’s why we chose St. Petersburg instead of Miami.“
For more about Webull, visit webull.com.
Thinking about making the move?
The St. Pete EDC works directly with companies evaluating relocation and expansion.
If you’re curious what St. Pete could look like for your company, let’s talk.
