From wall street to St. Pete: A fintech leader on why he'd do it again. Webull chief of staff talks about the company's move from NY to FL 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. 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. Get the become St. Pete brochure. Interested in learning how St. Pete helps innovative companies to thrive in its vibrant and authentically warm business community? * By *StPeteEDC * March 26, 2026 Related topics: More news to know What will your company become when you become St. Pete? Find out how the St. Pete EDC can help you grow here.

Webull reported Q4 revenue of $165.2 million, up 53% year-over-year, with customer assets reaching $24.6 billion, up 81%. Net deposits jumped 225% to $3.9 billion. However, earnings per share missed estimates at $0.01 versus $0.05 expected, as marketing expenses more than doubled to $53.25 million. CEO Anthony Denier revealed a strategic pivot, stating he expects the company's B2B business "to match or exceed our current retail business in the coming years". The Meritz Financial Group partnership in Korea has traded over $1 billion in equity, with Denier projecting tenfold growth by year-end. Webull's AI tool Vega now serves 1.2 million users weekly, with one in eight consulting it before trading. Shares are down 30% year-to-date.