Founding Fathers honored

The Florida Venture Forum honored Jan. 31 two of the Founding Fathers of Florida's venture capital industry — Don Burton, founder of Tampa-based South Atlantic Capital, and Jonathan Cole, partner at the Fort Lauderdale law firm of Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP.

Forum members presented Burton and Cole the organization's first Champion's Award for their longtime contributions to the state's venture capital industry. Pioneers both, Burton started farming Florida for up-and-coming companies in 1979, and Cole began his VC legal career here in 1981.

A Macon, Ga., native, Burton landed in Florida after working almost five years at Fidelity Investments' venture capital group in Boston. Fidelity assigned him to comb the Southeast for companies and investors.