One Spark Client Interview: Dragonboats/In the Pink

What is you idea?

Our idea is In the Pink...a one-stop shop for women with all types of cancer.  As a non-profit, we are always searching for creative ways to generate funding.  We brought dragon boating to Jacksonville as another healthy activity to get cancer patients engaged after treatment.  It was so well received that we opened up paddling to all people.  We now have several teams that paddle all year long.  We hosted Jacksonville's first dragon boat festival in September 2013.  In the Pink hosts several dragon boat teams. This sport is for everyone, regardless of age of athleticism. For more information, contact Marty at 536-3475 or email: millardm@comcast.net. We have one team for breast cancer survivors only called the Mammoglams. The funds raised at the festival stay at In the Pink, helping men, women and children in the Jacksonville area.

 

Why One Spark?

We decided to participate in One Spark to expose people to In the Pink and the dragon boat festival.  We hope to generate funding to assist US in expanding our services for cancer patients.

 How has the event been for you?

One Spark has been great.  We have met many people who were unaware of In the Pink yet know people who are in need of our services.  We have also found a lot of people who are interested in being involved in the dragon boat festival on September 27, 2014!

 
What's next?

After One Spark, we will continue to pursue funding to allow us to continue our services at In the Pink.  www.jaxinthepink.net
 

Amazing Finish to One Spark! Three FSBDC Client Winners! Congratulations!

We had 60 clients in this years One Spark crowd sourcing event. Congratulations to all of them as they made a great deal of progress vetting their idea and branding their concepts in front of 250,000 attendees. 

Congratulations to One Spark client winners Theatre on a Mission, Snyder Memorial Restoration and Aqua Jax for their first place finishes!. We also had checks presented to the St. Augustine Aquarium effort as well as the folks from Catty Shack Ranch!

But the work is just starting, and these winners as well as most of the other clients we assisted during One Spark will start digging in an planning their next steps after One Spark. Our team of experts is excited to be part of this process. We will keep this blog open longer to track the progress of these clients going forward!

The victorious Theatre on a Mission crew!

Snyder Memorial Restoration aka Amplify!

A big Jacksonville win by the Aqua Jax team!

One Spark Client Interview: Old Maid Cat Lady #20158

Old Maid Cat Lady has been a long time client at the FSBDC. The owner Lynn Thompson, has an amazing website and seeks to take her line of offerings to the next level via One Spark. We caught up to her at the Landing.

Describe your creator idea.

My project is way beyond the idea phase; I've been operating this online department store for cats and cat lovers for the past four years! It goes beyond a normal e-commerce site in that it's also a resource for cat owners. Cats are often misunderstood, so I try to help people understand feline needs and how to provide for them so they can live more harmoniously together. The project I'm presenting for One Spark is to get funding for expansion of my team by two people: one to help with operations work, and the other to focus solely on SEO. That should free me up to do more marketing and outreach.

Why one spark?

I knew last year that I needed to do a project for One Spark, but was not sure exactly how to make it apply to my business. The impact of this event, and its potential to raise awareness of OldMaidCatLady.com were just too much to resist. So I attended last year to get ideas, read through the material about how to become a Creator, and figured out a way to present a project that would fit within their parameters and still give me something I needed.

How is One Spark going so far?

Traffic was slow the first few days where I'm located, which is a bit out of the main traffic flow. But the crowds picked up a lot on Day 4. Lots more people stopped by and not only voted for me, but took one of my brochures and said they'd be checking out my site. So it should lead to increased sales for me.

What is next after One Spark?

I spoke with a guy who said they're holding an event soon to match up Creators with investors, and I'll look into that. The leader of my peer-to-peer mentoring group also told me she wants to put me in touch with some venture capitalists she knows who may be a good fit. I have taken this retail site as far as I can by myself, so my team definitely needs to expand, and it's not even making enough now to pay my bills, so an injection of capital is definitely needed. Until that comes, I'll continue doing as much as I can alone, continually tweaking and improving the site, processing and following up on orders.

Location: The Landing, 2nd floor #20158

Lynn Maria Thompson
Author - Speaker - Editor
President, Thompson Writing & Editing, Inc.

Proprietor, OldMaidCatLady.com

Neptune Beach, Florida
www.thompsonwriting.com

www.oldmaidcatlady.com

Phone (904) 242-0054
Cell (904) 955-2367
Fax (904) 458-8021
E-mail lynn@thompsonwriting.com

Follow me on Twitter @gatorlynn and @OldMaidCatLady

One Spark Client Interview: USS Charles F. Adams #20372

Executive Director Joe Snowberger anf FSBDC staffer Paul Arrington outside their facility.

Joe Snowberger was out in the hallway at the Landing telling everyone about the need to bring the USS Charles F. Adams downtown. His nonprofit is leading the way...

Tell us about your idea...

 

Our idea is to establish Florida's Naval Warship Museum aboard the USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2) as Jacksonville's newest attraction.  Located on the beautiful and historic St Johns River, Downtown Jacksonville's USS ADAMS MUSEUM will be an entertainment centerpiece for area residents and visitors from around the globe. While honoring vets and sharing the story of the sea services, the USS ADAMS MUSEUM will be a center of education and vocational stimulation for kids focusing on the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics plus History (STEM+H) disciplines. 

 

The USS ADAMS MUSEUM will provide 30 full time jobs, over 20 part-time jobs and 75 in-direct jobs with an annual economic impact of over $4M while stimulating other Downtown economic activities. 

 

Why did you decide to do One Spark?

 

Easiest decision ever...hundreds of thousands of people at the world's only crowd funding festival? Duh! 

 

How has One Spark been for you so far?

 

Wonderful! ONE SPARK has exposed our "Gift to Jacksonville" to many new people and engaged our whole team. We have made very significant new connections, signed up many new members and new volunteers.  

 

What is next for you after One Spark? 

 

Take advantage of the wave of momentum we have from ONE SPARK and launch a multi-tiered fund raising campaign..."BRING HOME THE ADAMS! 

Location: The Landing #20372

One Spark Client Interview: Snyder Memorial Building Renovation (Amplify) #20361

Snyder Memorial Church was founded in 1870 as Trinity Methodist Church. It was partially destroyed in the Great Fire of 1901 and later renamed for E.B.Snyder, its pastor at the time. It is a jewel in the center of downtown that needs some polishing...With Tom Patania and crew to take a closer look at their mission...

Tell us about your idea...

We have a vision to renovate, repurpose and renew the historic building of Snyder Memorial Church into a premier performing arts venue, commercial recording studio and technology training center.  We also intend to make the space available for public events that the city hosts as well as private events such as weddings and parties.

Why did you decide to do One Spark?

We believe One Spark is an amazing event for Jacksonville and the region!  Our participation is an opportunity to share our story with all of the folks participating in the event and the broader community.  Plus, our project is right in the middle of the One Spark footprint.

How has One Spark been for you so far?

Incredible!!  We have received a lot of great feedback and support.  We have a great group of volunteers and they are so excited about being able to share this story of renewal of this beautiful old building and the potential of having arts be a part of the renaissance of downtown.

What is the next for you after One Spark?
Some sleep!  But seriously, we begin our official capital campaign and the next level of conversation with the city and people connected to the project.  Our intention is to lease the building front the city and head up the capital campaign for the renovation. 

Location: Snyer and The Carling #20361

One Spark Client Interview: Grease for Fuel #20146

Creator Charles Payne with FSBDC staff Marge Cirillo and Paul Arrington

Yup, there was Charles Payne out on the Riverwalk by the Landing talking up his creator idea, Grease for Fuel. Here is what he had to say:

Tell us about your idea…
Grease for Fuel helps save the environment, household pipes and the nation’s nations sewers, soil, water systems and landfills by providing a convenient, residence-based way to collect used cooking greases and recycle them into renewable fuel and other products.

Why did not decide to do One Spark?
I wanted the project to be shown to be a valid and viable.

How has One Spark been for you so far?
Good.  My One Spark experience has allowed me to present the project and generate interest.

What is next for you after One Spark?
Follow up with the contacts I’ve made!

Location: Riverwalk # 20146

One Spark Client Interview: ThinkSpace #20592

Jackie Perry has a sweet looking booth at the Library.  They are seeing a ton of people at One Spark:

Tell Us About Your Idea

ThinkSpace is the only full service "pre-incubation" program that supports individuals who want to move their idea from concept to marketplace. We collaborate with you, then bring in additional resource partners and professionals to help cultivate your idea into a real business opportunity.

ThinkSpace Why did you decide to do One Spark

Because it was the perfect venue for presenting our expanded program within an existing successful program of business incubation. We Also were excited about the growth potential and exposure we might gain from One Spark.

How has One Spark been for you so far

Great! It has put in us front of a lot of people we would have never met. We've also been able to gauge the level of interest people have in being able to have a "One Spark" 7 days a week.

What is next for you after One Spark

We'll take the lessons learned, the valuable feedback and the marketing contacts for followup and to see how we can be a benefit after One Spark.

Location: Main Library (under the stairs) # 20592

One Spark Client Interview: Theatre On a Mission

We found Chelsey Cain and her crew working the One Spark crowd in the middle of the street. Great mission and a great location! Theatre On a Mission ( a nonprofit), has been getting a lot of votes so far at One Spark. #20124.

Tell us about your idea Chelsey.

Theatre On a Mission is a student-driven service project. It began with my

dream to meet and inspire a young orphan I sponsor in Kenya. I want to bring the joy of theatre to children whom may never get the opportunity to experience it. So I asked a few of my friends to help me take a theatre camp to the orphanage in Kenya.

Their first trip was an amazing success. The team conducted a week-long theatre camp and incorporated the children at the Foundation Stone Ministry Orphanage into a play that helped raise enough money from the surrounding Bondo community to get running water to the orphanage. The group traveled to two additional village schools, teaching those students theatre games and more. Over those two days at the schools, the sessions included over 1200 students!

Students from UNF, UF, FSCJ, Douglas Anderson, and Sandalwood High Schools have come together to make this dream come true. In July of 2014 another team of students will be making a second journey to Africa to bring theatre to the children living in the Foundation Stone Ministry Orphanage.

Why one spark? How is One Spark going so far?

One Spark seems like the perfect opportunity to let people within the Jacksonville community learn about our project and to excite those who already support us. It has been a huge challenge so far, but we believe we are growing as a team and have to strength and the confidence to over come any challenge that comes our way. As of yesterdays votes we were in the top three movers in our category.

What is next for Theatre On a Mission after One Spark?

Continuing raising money for the trip. We have a Theatre on a Mission Benefit show coming up on May 4^th at Theatre Jacksonville in San Marco.

For more information: 904-449-6019.

Kendra Lay and Ronnie Yocham, creators of Affordable Acupuncture for Jax

Creator 20289

Excited about promoting their concept at their One Spark venue in the SunTrust Building, Kendra Lay and Ronnie Yocham have created a more accessible way to deliver acupuncture services.  Both Kendra and Ronnie hold master's degrees in acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Counselor Games Showcases its Concept in Wells Fargo Building at One Spark

Creator 20736

FSBDC consultant Paul Arrington stands with Grace Wilhelm, the creator of Counselor Games, and booth visitors and supporters.  Counselor Games desires to develop DVDs that educators can use to help young students grow their study and organizational skills and manage stress with everyday games the students already are familiar with. 

Find Monahan for Today's Prizes!

OK One Spark. The first five people to find Kevin monahan and ask him for a thumb drive will receive (on the drive) a full "How to Make a Pitch" presentation and a start up budget and cash flow template!
Here is an artist's rendering of Monahan:

FSBDC at UNF Up and Running at One Spark!

Did you see the photo shoot of the Barnett Bank building? This incredible downtown asset is now open during One Spark! Take a peek inside to find creators, a great lounge, and UNF assets like the Division of Continuing Education, as well as our own fully staffed table! There are big plans for this building to open a new chapter as an epicenter in Downtown...Visit us!

Kevin Monahan, Ali Stephens and Stephanie Royal are ready at the FSBDC booth!

The SMART Dessert, Naturally Smart Foods, at One Spark!

Creator 20007

SBDC client Mark Patterson, the creative behind Naturally Smart Frozen Dessert, shows how it's done at One Spark.

Tabolap at One Spark!!

Tabolap creator Lien Hoang displays her Tabolap brief, capable of setting up your moble workstation!

Creator 20772

Conscious Market Displays its Driving Technology at One Spark

Creator 20538

Florence Haridan displays the technology that will allow Conscious Market to safely harvest unused food from caterers and food services to distribute or recreate new food products. 

St Augustine Aquarium at One Spark: Creator 20364

One of my favorite displays at this year's One Spark is for the newly designed St Augustine Aquarium.  THis Aquarium will feature Florida wildlife in an educational and family friendly environment.  I met with Shawn Hiester to talk about this innovative idea.

Creator 20364

SBDC: Shawn, what is your inspiration behind this project?

Shawn: I love the miracle of the undersea world and I couldn't think of anything greater than sharing it with others.

SBDC: What expertise have you gathered on your team to make this project a reality?

Shawn: We have a team of internationally recognized specialists in the fields of Animal Husbandry, Life Support Systems, and Acquarium Maintenance.  However, we don't have any fisherman on the team, which is a good thing.

SBDC: What are your next steps once One Spark is finished?

Shawn: We already have the funding in place for stage 1 of the project, so we are looking to complete the land acquisition with the City of St Augustine to make the next step.  Once that is complete, it's time to build.

If you'd like to hear more about what Shawn and the team are doing, you can visit them at the Landing during One Spark or follow along from their facebook page.

Decorate the Shed Interview: Creator 20287

Meet Loren Myhre, art professor at Flager College and creator of one of the visually stunning displays at this year's One Spark: Decorate the Shed

Creator 20287

Loren's display focuses on artwork dealing with the classic American Railway system.  He says, "I draw my inspiration from railroad imagry, and I've always loved trains.  I was captivated by the these powerful forces that make their way across the American countryside.  I often take railwalks here in town to get extra inspiration."

Loren is the sole designer of this project, but he appreciates his wife's help with marketing and social media along the way.  In his words, his wife is the "social bug" of the operation.

Loren is at One Spark in hopes of raising funds to acquire a studio space.  The studio would feature an open floor plan to allow visitors to see his work space and gallery.  He would open the gallery for other artists to display their works as well.

If you're interested in learning more, you can visit Loren in the Landing during One Spark, or visit his blog: www.lorenmyhre.blogspot.com/

AMWISP: Creator 20062

Day one of One Spark has begun and I sat down with James Grondzik, the creator of AMWISP, to discuss his One Spark Project.  AMWISP stands for Autonomous Mobile Wireless Internet Service Provider, and is an internet service provider for anyone, anwhere, anytime.

Creator 20062

SBDC: What is your inspiration behind this project?

James: I want to help the people by providing communication opportunities, especially where they were unaffordable or inaccessible in the past.

SBDC: Tell us about the expert team that you've built to carry this project through.

James: I've really focused on gathering a team of other entrepreneurs.  We've got team members with a varied set of skills and backgrounds.  One of our team members has quite a bit of experience building hydrogen generators, while another one owns a local Zaxby's franchise, and another owns a pool and spa maintenance business in the area.  We've come together to launch this great project to the world.

SBDC: What are you next steps after One Spark?

James: We're going into production!  We're meeting with the US Army to do an initial roll out with their organization.  We then will start a statewide roll out.

If you're interested in what James is doing, you can follow him at his website, www.amwisp.net, or you can visit him at Hemming Plaza during One Spark.

ThinkSpace Prepares to Roll Out at One Spark

We caught the ThinkSpace team right as they prepared to go to set up for the opening day of One Spark.

Creator 20592

Jackie Perry of the ThinkSpace team says, “One Spark happens once a year.  ThinkSpace happens throughout the year as a platform for entrepreneurs to grow and develop. ThinkSpace – a full service business pre-incubation project of the Beaver Street Enterprise Center – is designed to bring innovative business ideas into creative, unique workspace. We welcome all One Spark attendees to visit us at our  Jacksonville Public Library venue and vote for #20592.”

One Spark: How to Come Out a Winner eBook

Seeking out some tips about how to best prepare for the upcoming One Spark festival?  Look no further!  We just released our eBook to help all creators at this year's event:

One Spark: How to Come Out a Winner eBook