A $2 million gift from tech entrepreneur Arnie Bellini and his wife, Lauren, will create a new graduate program at Saint Leo University aimed at training cybersecurity executives, the university announced Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The Master of Science in Cybersecurity Executive Track, set to enroll its first cohort in January 2027, targets working professionals who want to lead cybersecurity strategy in business, government, healthcare and defense. The program will be housed in Saint Leo's Tapia College of Business and Technology, which launched this fall after the university merged its business and computing colleges.

"Our nation needs to defend its digital borders with the same commitment that we defend our physical borders," Bellini said in the announcement. "That starts by educating leaders who understand cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and the responsibility that comes with protecting our economy and critical infrastructure."

The $2 million breaks down as $1.6 million in direct financial support and roughly $400,000 in technology resources, including access to SkillBit and ConnectSecure platforms for hands-on training and simulations. Bellini is chairman of ConnectSecure.

Unlike traditional cybersecurity degrees focused on technical skills, the executive track combines leadership development with applied cybersecurity training and AI-supported instruction. The university describes it as among the first programs of its kind nationally.

Bellini founded ConnectWise, the Tampa-based software company that sold for $1.5 billion in 2019. In 2025, the Bellinis gave $40 million to the University of South Florida to establish its College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Computing. He has advocated for positioning Tampa Bay as a national cybersecurity hub.

Saint Leo President Jim Burkee said the gift expands opportunities for students and working professionals to lead in one of the fastest-growing and most critical fields in the world.

The gift also establishes the Bellini Family Endowed Scholarship, which will provide financial assistance to full-time students pursuing cybersecurity-related degrees at Saint Leo.

The announcement comes as the U.S. faces a projected shortage of more than one million cybersecurity professionals by 2027, according to figures cited in state budget documents. Florida's fiscal year 2026-27 budget separately allocated $602,000 to Saint Leo's Cybersecurity and Cyberforensics Training and Education Center. The university holds a National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Security designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education.

The Bellini gift is the third major philanthropic commitment Saint Leo has announced in roughly five weeks, following a $1 million donation from the Mitchell family for an addiction recovery program and the Tapia College launch. The university has not yet posted application details for the January 2027 cohort.