Posted on March 25, 2013

© One Spark

Heather: Have you heard about One Spark yet? Perhaps you’ve read Facebook status’ of friends saying they are a One Spark Creator, seen the banners that are being put up all over town, or overheard conversations about the big thing taking over downtown in just a few weeks. After having to explain it to a few people recently who I was sure would have heard about, we decided we’d do our part to spread the message. I asked the fabulous Meredith O’Malley Johnson (One Spark’s Volunteer Services Manager) to answer some questions that people had asked me and a few that were on my mind as well.

What is One Spark? One Spark 2013 is the world’s first crowdfunding festival, where people can support inspiration (art, music, technology, science and innovation) in person and in real-time. One Spark is built on the belief that game-changers emerge from dorm rooms, garages, and small studios. For five days in April 2013, One Spark lights up Downtown Jacksonville. Around 450 Creators will display their work in over 50 Venues and Spaces, all vying for $250,000 in crowdfunding, up to $1 million in capital investments, and immediate individual investments. The guaranteed $250,000 crowdfund will be divided up based on popular vote by One Spark attendees.

Why Jacksonville? Why now? One Spark was created by three friends who share a passion for creativity and entrepreneurship. Each, Elton Rivas, Varick Rosete, and Dennis Eusibio, have had successful careers and have completed other projects collectively and on their own. They sat over a meal and wanted to figure out a way to retain the innovative spirit of Jacksonville. They didn’t want to leave and go elsewhere rather stay in Jacksonville. One Spark was born. Influences for the One Spark 2013 event include Art Prize, SXSW and crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter or IndieGoGo.

How can locals participate during the festival? First and foremost, locals can attend One Spark to vote for projects that inspire them.  One Spark also needs enthusiastic volunteers to fill a variety of roles. Already, nearly 600 locals have signed up to volunteer, but we still need a few more. To learn more, visit beonespark.com/volunteer.

What are the kinds of projects being entered? All kinds of things.  Creator projects are about 26% art, 15% tech, 14% education, 13% music, 6% inventions, 6% engineering, 6% science and also include robotics, theater, bio-engineering, medical and gaming.  Check out beonespark.com/discover to see all the Creator projects.

What are the goals of One Spark? Short-term, One Spark wants to connect great ideas with resources to make them a reality.  Long-term, One Spark will be a yearly event in Jacksonville, so sustainability is a major goal.

What kind of impact do you expect One Spark to have on Jacksonville? We’re expecting 100,000 people to attend One Spark over the five-day festival.  The economic impact is estimated to be $16-$22 million for Northeast Florida.

One Spark Teaser from One Spark on Vimeo.