Tony DiBenedetto
Founder and Chair
“Believe in yourself.”
The Founder and Chair of Think Big for Kids, Tony DiBenedetto is a technology executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist with more than 35 years of experience in business innovation, high-impact growth and people leadership.
In addition to his work with Think Big for Kids, Tony serves as Chairman and CEO of Appspace, a workplace experience platform that specializes in connecting people, places and spaces. More than one-third of Fortune 500 companies utilize Appspace software solutions for their distributed global workforces.
Tony is the former CEO of technology company Tribridge, which he founded in 1998. Under his leadership, Tribridge grew from a start-up to over 850 team members across the U.S. and Europe. In 2017, he led the acquisition of the company by publicly traded DXC Technology.
Tony began his career at Arthur Andersen and earned partnership before co-founding technology Tribridge. A long-time volunteer and supporter of Boys & Girls Clubs, he is a member of the Tocqueville Society of United Way Suncoast. He co-founded the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, now Tampa Bay Tech, in 2000 and was the first executive director of the TBTF Foundation, helping at-risk kids pursue careers in STEM through educational programs and scholarships.
Named the first Executive Entrepreneur-in-Residence for tech incubator Tampa Bay Wave, Tony is a mentor to many growth-stage companies. The recipient of numerous leadership awards, including the Ernst & Young Florida Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award in Technology and induction into the FSU College of Business Hall of Fame, he was also recognized with the Community Dedication and Leadership Award by Tampa Bay Tech. He was named Philanthropist of the Year by Tampa Bay Business & Wealth magazine, and Tampa Bay Business Journal voted him to the Power 100 List for two consecutive years and a Legend in the Business Community for his enduring impact.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management Information Systems from Florida State University.
