Our Team

Cole Younger is the founder and Managing Partner of Fortson®. He studied finance and engineering at the University of Washington, a combination that helped shape his qualitative and quantitative approach to venture investing.

Before founding Fortson, Cole spent much of his career in venture, working closely with entrepreneurs at the earliest stages. These experiences shaped his respect for the entrepreneurial journey and directly influenced how he partners with founders today.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, he spends his free time fly fishing, gardening, and cultivating the perfect flower. Of all his accomplishments, the one he is most proud of is being married to his wife and building a life with her.

Melissa is Fortson’s Chief of Staff. She holds a degree in Communication with a background spanning marketing, media planning, and operations. She specializes in execution and is a world-class project manager.

Outside of work, she is an avid reader, with a particular interest in apologetics.

David Gorter is a Partner at Fortson® and a member of the investment committee. He started his first business right out of college and has been a lifelong entrepreneur ever since.

A formative expedition through Kenya, including climbing Mt. Kenya and traveling across East Africa, helped shape his resilience and long-term perspective on venture investing.

He’s proud to have served on his alma mater’s board for 16 years and is a firm believer in the value of education.

Cade is a Senior Associate at Fortson VC, where he focuses on sourcing new investment opportunities, supporting portfolio companies, and contributing to investment decisions across early-stage software and AI businesses. He works closely with founders from initial evaluation through post-investment strategy, partnering on growth, positioning, and long-term value creation. Prior to joining Fortson, he worked in middle-market private equity and venture capital, as well as at a data-driven technology company, building a strong foundation in analytics, business development, and market research.

Outside of investing, Cade enjoys perfecting homemade pizzas and exploring oyster culture, fly fishing in the Pacific Northwest, and staying competitive through sports, drawing from his background as a former collegiate football player.

Levi is the newest member of the investment team at Fortson®. His work sits at the intersection of investing, operations, and brand, where he focuses on building scalable systems, sharpening firm messaging, and optimizing internal processes.

Outside of investing, he is actively building and scaling an e-commerce company in his spare time, and he enjoys fitness, graphic design, and Settlers of Catan.