JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Lights, camera, innovation: One Spark 2018 offers a bevy of talented entertainers and inventors under one roof in Daily's Place, a new state-of-the-art facility, on Friday and Saturday.
A preview event Thursday got the creative juices flowing with a public sneak peek at the new Idea City footprint and the first look the 2018 creators.
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In past years, One Spark was held in and around Hemming Park. Chris Carter, the president of One Spark Ventures, told News4Jax that he's excited about the new location and setup for this year's festival.
"We have a learning center in Daily's Place, TEDxJax, more education for creators and the public," Carter said. "While the creators are the stars of the show, we wanted to engage the community in more than one way and that's how we've decided to set things up."
Thursday's attendees also got to hear from a neuroscientist determined to crack the code on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, a CEO and winner of a Techstars Global Startup competition, and a social entrepreneur bringing tangible solutions to the problems of homeless and working poor in Tampa.
One Spark After Dark will feature creative local bands and DJs both Friday and Saturday night.
“We are excited to finally take the wraps off Idea City and its many innovation neighborhoods, where entrepreneurs, businesses and performers come together and share ideas and experiences with the community,” Carter said. “We have curated a talented group of creators from an applicant pool of more than 330 teams, and have recruited three inspirational speakers who will share their stories of taking an idea and turning it into a mission. This is topped off by a talented lineup of diverse entertainers from multiple genres to bring Idea City to life at night."
One Spark is a nonprofit committed to fostering environments of creativity and innovation.
The company does this by connecting entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world with the community, providing a platform for engagement and making the connections innovators need to move their ideas forward at One Spark-branded events and festivals.
The One Spark festival is one of the most efficient ways for individuals and teams to receive market validation and direct feedback and to network with those who may be able to provide personal or professional connections to advance innovative ideas to the next stage of development.
