For the first three years of One Spark, potential exhibitors at the festival had only to answer two questions in the affirmative:
“Do you have enough money to pay the registration fee?” and “Do you have it with you?”
That policy led to as many as 600 ideas, products and projects being showcased along the streets and inside businesses Downtown.
For the fourth edition, April 7-9, that’s changed.
Exhibitors will be limited to 300 — no more than 50 in each of six categories — and the 2016 participants will be chosen by an 18-member selection jury that was announced Wednesday.
“Quality is the goal instead of sheer quantity,” One Spark co-founder and CEO Rivas said in December after the change was announced.
The jurors are:
Arts and culture
• Vince Cavin, executive director of Friends of Hemming Park and former events and operations director for One Spark
• Dale Stoudt, owner of Super Food & Brew
• Will Thomas, owner of Atlanta-based production company Space Cherry Films
• Ben Thompson, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville curator of collections
Education
• Susan Mankowski, early childhood specialist at the Jacksonville Public Library
• Korin Munsterman, Florida Coastal School of Law dean of library, IT and academic technology services and an associate professor
Health and wellness
• Kenneth Jones, CEO of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Jacqueline Rose, research and development engineer at San Calos, Calif.-based medical device company Ciel Medical
• Jim Stallings, managing partner of PS27 Ventures, a private investment firm
Sports and lifestyle
• Zack Brown, who put making a batch of potato salad on the Kickstarter crowdfunding website as a joke and raised more than $55,000
• Donovin Darius, former Jacksonville Jaguars safety and founder of Donovin Darius Next Level Training & Performance
• Carrie Sanchez-Potter, owner of The Legends Series, Northeast Florida’s pop-up art and dining series
• Carlton Robinson, senior director of the entrepreneurial growth division of the JAX Chamber
Social good
• Anna-Mieke Anderson, founder and president of MiaDonna & Co., an online jewelry retailer.
• Kristen Keen, founder and president of Rethreaded, an exhibitor at One Spark 2013 who took home the top prize of more than $6,700. The company employs former victims of the sex trade.
Technology and engineering
• Hampton Catlin, co-founder and CEO of Wordset and Team Rarebit, developer of the mobile version of Wikipedia
• Mina Markham, founder of the Dallas chapter of Girl Develop It, a nonprofit that provides low-cost Web and software services
• Mark McCombs, founder of Renaissance Jax, a nonprofit that establishes robotics teams in Duval County schools
The application period for One Spark 2016 closes Jan. 29. A $10 fee is required to be evaluated by the jury.
Following the panel’s deliberations, exhibitors will be announced Feb. 24. They will be given the opportunity to be an exhibitor after submitting a $250 acceptance fee.
For more information, visit onespark.com.
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