FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MIAMI, Fla. – March 7, 2025 – Florida Venture Education Foundation, a 501c3 support organization to the Florida Venture Forum, today announced the recipients of the 2024 Florida Venture Education Foundation Awards. The winners were formally recognized at the 2025 Florida Venture Capital Conference, held in Miami March 3 – 5, 2025.
The Florida Venture Education Foundation Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have demonstrated exceptional leadership, mentorship, and impact within Florida’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and are announced each year at the Forum’s Florida Venture Capital Conference.
2024 award recipients are:
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- Venture-Backed Company of the Year: Cirkul. Garrett Waggoner, CEO & Founder of Cirkul. was recognized for exceptional work and positive influence contributed to Florida’s business and venture communities.
- Venture Investor of the Year: Weatherford Capital. Drew Weatherford, Founding Partner of Weatherford Capital, was recognized for his impactful investments and support of Florida’s startup ecosystem.
- Venture Leader of the Year: Nancy Dahlberg, Journalist, Refresh Miami & Florida Trend, was recognized for her longtime, dedicated coverage of Florida’s startup and venture capital landscape.
Florida Venture Education Foundation Board Chair, Tim Cartwright, Partner at Fifth Avenue Family Office and Chairman of Tamiami Angel Funds, said, “Congratulations to each of our award winners for their tremendous accomplishments and contributions to the thriving venture and innovation ecosystem in Florida. First, to Cirkul, which was recently valued at $1.07 billion after raising $70 million in a Series C funding round and launching a successful Super Bowl LIX advertisement campaign. Second to Weatherford Capital, which recently added Veteran Advocacy Consultant and Political Strategist Justin Hollis. Third to Nancy Dahlberg, a Miami Herald alum who writes about startups, tech, VC, & social impact. Venture capital is known to be the most transformative and enabling form of investment capital, creating more jobs and economic benefit, dollar for dollar, than any other investment type.”
For more information on award criteria, visit the Foundation’s website at www.flvef.org
About the Florida Venture Education Foundation: Since 2016, the Foundation’s mission has been to drive participation from underrepresented communities in the venture ecosystem and create awareness of the industry in Florida and beyond. It supports education initiatives, data and research projects concerning venture activity and its impact on the state of Florida. For more information, visit: https://flvef.org/.
About Florida Venture Forum: The Florida Venture Forum is Florida’s largest statewide support organization for investors and entrepreneurs, helping companies with headquarters, operations or supply chain in Florida connect with sources of capital from across the country. Since 1984 over 2,000 companies have presented at Forum events and have gone on to raise more than $30B in capital and contribute well over that amount in total economic value to Florida. The Forum’s membership represents a “Who’s who” of venture capital and private equity dealmakers, including equity and debt investors at all stages, as well as major law, accounting, and investment banking firms, and large corporates active in the innovation ecosystem. The Forum provides programs and programming statewide throughout the year in addition to hosting major annual conferences like the Florida Venture Capital Conference, the Statewide Collegiate Start-up Competition, the Early Stage Capital Conference, and industry-focused events. For more information, visit: http://www.flventure.org
Media Contact: Nicole Harnke
Florida Venture Forum, Inc.
Email: nicole@flventure.org
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