Hey, I agree, much better than your initial concepts.
Two things, I think it is the "G" and the "I", they form a shape (whether this was done consciously or not, I don't know) and it throws off the balance. Also, why highlight the "EE" if it is a play on words? I like the play on words, I think it is creative as the owner's name/country is "LEE" but perhaps you should stick to highlighting "LEE" like you had in your original concept. I think it makes the play much more clearer for the observer. Just my opinion.
The other question was regarding your colour choice? What is the meaning behind the colours, is there any meaning or are they just colours that you prefer?
As an example if I wanted to incorporate Florida into the mix, I would maybe try the state colours, which are gold/white/redish garnet on the flag. It may be a bit cliche but gold also symbolizes wealth used wisely and optimism. Or perhaps you could go with grey/silver as it has a similar representation to that of gold and is also widely recognized as symbolism for technology.
The colour red/garnet actually comes form the gemstone "Garnet" which ironically is known as the stone for successful business as well as stimulating success in business.
So with these two points in mind, I took a crack at helping you tweak the kerning and came up with the following (hope you don't mind)...just a quick example. You of course can choose your own colours, but I just wondered what the meaning behind your colour choice was and if there is no meaning, perhaps you could look to alternate colours that justify some type of meaning for the business.
EDIT: Sorry OP, nevermind regarding colours, I just reread your initial post and learned that these were the required colours from your class.

Nevertheless, I would still stick with highlighting "LEE" and continue to tweak your kerning (feel free to follow my tweak if you find it helps visually).