The inaugural One Spark is designed to be an event unlike any that has taken place in Jacksonville.
Scheduled April 17-21, for five days artists, entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators will showcase their work, products and ideas in multiple venues Downtown within the boundaries of Hemming Plaza, Ocean Street, the St. Johns River and Pearl Street.
The public will experience and then evaluate the entries and vote on their favorites. Each entrant will receive a proportionate share of a planned $250,000 prize fund, based on votes received.
The concept is to allow creative people in the arts and technology fields share their talents and to develop a network of innovators and sources of assets, such as public awareness and investors looking for projects to fund.
Other cities have vibrant venture capital environments, but Jacksonville is behind in that area, said Vince Cavin, One Spark director of operations and finance.
“There’s a lack of connection between ideas and capital,” he said.
“There is a tremendous creative community here, but it could be better connected,” said Inka Joensuu, One Spark director of marketing.
The field is not limited to local entrants, however.
“It’s going to be five days of full access to people from all over the world,” said Laura Phillips, director of events and field operations.
Elton Rivas, One Spark co-founder and executive director, said Downtown was chosen for the event because its density and myriad available venues.
“You have to have dense infrastructure. It creates a sense of dense community,” he said.
The event’s organizers are seeking not only entrants, but locations for galleries and showcases. Potential locations could be an active business or an empty building.
“There are plenty of opportunities Downtown for temporary venues,” said Phillips.
Owners of approved venues will be able to evaluate entrants and vice versa. It’s a “matchmaking service” of sorts, Phillips said.
One Spark kicked off with $300,000 from anonymous donors, Rivas said. That allowed the hiring of the small staff to begin planning and developing a base of volunteers for the event.
A grassroots fundraising campaign began Sept. 4 at kickstarter.com, with the goal of raising an additional $90,000 – in increments starting at $10 – by Oct. 4. Rivas said after that goal is met, he anticipates more major donors will join the effort.
“That will be the tipping point. The Kickstarter campaign allows the community to have some skin in the game,” he said.
As of this morning, 65 backers had pledged $21,152 to the campaign, including one donor at the $10,000 level.
“We are huge believers in setting expectations and beating them,” Rivas said.
For more details about the event and a link to the Kickstarter campaign, visit beonespark.com.
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