Elton Rivas Quits One Spark

[Tacachale]

^What I'm saying is that (for the last 20-30 years, at least), Grand Rapids' efforts have been coordinated (my wife's family is from Battle Creek, and Grand Rapids is easily my favorite part of Michigan). It may have started with some individual projects, but the redevelopment really worked because various interested partners - the big developers, the city, and local groups - worked together to build a common vision. We've had that in interrupted bursts, and it looks like things are going that way again, but we'd be wise not to rely too much on any one project being the thing that puts us over.

[thelakelander]

^great observation.

[CCMjax]

I've been reading this thread with great interest and maybe my comments belong in a different thread. If that's the case, I apologize up front. 

The reason I've found it interesting is, I've been trying to figure out exactly what One Spark is/was.  What really got me going, though, was the comparison to Art Prize in Grand Rapids, which is my hometown.  I then began to think about all the discussions that this forum has had about DT Jax being what it is.  Well...

Thirty years ago, you could walk into DT GR at 6:00 in the evening and hit a golf ball in any direction without too much fear of hitting a human being, at least not one that held a job.  Pretty much like much of what has been said of DT Jax, currently.  What changed?  The $$$ invested by a couple of local billionaires named DeVos and Van Andel.  They were tired of seeing the city deteriorate, and they took matters into their own hands.  They bought up old hotels and renovated them into 5-star places.  They built an arena for sports and concerts.  They plowed money into public facilities, allowing the city to have a massive convention center with a wonderful performance hall.  No surprise that Art Prize is the vision of one of their lineage!  It wasn't designed to be profitable; it was designed to make GR an even more "world class" city, to get people to come and experience it.  The transformation of this city has been nothing short of astonishing, and Art Prize is but one small piece of the puzzle. 

It seems that Jax is waiting for city hall or Shad Khan or someone to do something.  Grand Rapids had the good fortune (no pun intended) of having two LOCAL guys who made it big and loved their city enough to do something about it.  Does Jacksonville have anyone with local roots with this kind of vision, with this kind of love for his / her city?  It really is going to take someone like this, by the sounds of it.

I am from Kalamazoo and remember the days when both GR and Kzoo were complete ghost downtowns.  Now the downtowns are both thriving because of coordinated efforts.  Wealthy people/corporations who give a damn about their city combined with city officials that have vision.  I have been saying this for a while . . . if these cities (you might want the throw Detroit's revitalizations efforts in the conversation as well) in a Midwestern state that has had a struggling economy for the last 30+ years can get organized and breathe new life into their downtowns then a major city in Florida with a rich and diverse economy should be able to as well.

[TimmyB]

^What I'm saying is that (for the last 20-30 years, at least), Grand Rapids' efforts have been coordinated (my wife's family is from Battle Creek, and Grand Rapids is easily my favorite part of Michigan). It may have started with some individual projects, but the redevelopment really worked because various interested partners - the big developers, the city, and local groups - worked together to build a common vision. We've had that in interrupted bursts, and it looks like things are going that way again, but we'd be wise not to rely too much on any one project being the thing that puts us over.

I've spent the last 29 years of my life working (and living) in Battle Creek, and Grand Rapids is also one of my favorite parts!!!   Traverse City, of course, number one in my heart. 

I believe we are on the same page, as far as the commitment of all the stakeholders.  It does take those monied people to believe in the first place, though.  Probably why BC is becoming the next Flint.  All the Kellogg's are gone and there is no LOCAL voice with the $$$ AND the commitment to do something about it.

[JoeSampsonFL]

Chris Byers was the name Elton listed but Chris Carter was the name in the TU.

Why would Elton send this email first thing Monday AM?

Why didn't the organization send it like they did when Joe Sampson or the rest of the crew was released?  Were they planning to but this was a "preemptive" move by Rivas?  Doubt we'll ever really know and I doubt Elton will ever return to this city.

Hubris. Smugness.  Like rain on a welding day.

Chris Byers is the finance guy who's been around since 2014 as a contractor from ICX Group turned (I believe) employee in mid to late 2015. Chris Carter is new, and will be running One Spark Ventures, which was just announced by Peter. Hope that helps...

To clarify, I wasn't released. I decided to resign as executive director in December 2014 (see: https://onespark.com/blog/statement-on-departure-of-joe-sampson), and my resignation was not at their request. Generally unwilling to go much further into it than that as I still care deeply for One Spark and truly hope the organization finds success in its new model, but I thought that was worth clearing up.

What is the new model?

In their own words: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-spark-ventures-launches-to-propel-festival-to-new-heights-300202310.html

[TheCat]

With One Spark festival wavering, Elbow businesses want their own party

A downtown business group says it is mobilizing to offset the potential loss of the One Spark crowdfunding festival scheduled for April.
Grant Nielsen, founder and administrator of the Elbow Marketing Co-op, said representatives of about a dozen businesses have agreed to formulate some sort of downtown event April 7-9 when the One Spark festival is scheduled to take place.

The group of business owners and entrepreneurs in the Elbow District running along Bay and Ocean streets downtown meets monthly. At Wednesday night's gathering they discussed this week's One Spark developments, which included the resignations of the CEO, two administrative staffers and a member of the board of directors.

"Regardless of what happens with One Spark, in terms of crowd attendance, its footprint or its impact, we're going to continue to do what we always did with that weekend in April," Nielsen said.

"We're going to have great local showcases. Hopefully, most of them will remain free. It's going to be a party like it's always been in The Elbow and we'll continue to do what we do best and that's to highlight local culture," Nielsen said.

The Elbow organization represents some 14 businesses, nightclubs and restaurants in about a six-square-block area of downtown. Nielsen said no one in that district wants the One Spark festival to disappear and he credited One Spark co-founder and former CEO Elton Rivas for generating momentum for entrepreneurial spirit in Jacksonville.

But Rivas agreed to submit his resignation to One Spark Inc. Monday after the board of directors asked him to step down. One Spark Chairman and funding patron Peter Rummell said it was time for the organization to move on and indicated at a meeting with 80 business leaders Tuesday that the days of the festival may be over.

The crowdfunding festival drew an estimated 320,000 people to a 20-square-block area of downtown during the six-day event in April 2015. The event was earlier whittled down to three days and 10 blocks for this year's scheduled festival. Then Rummell said this week there's no guarantee the event will take place at all.

Rummell and his colleagues are instead focusing on developing a new project called One Spark Ventures, which would focus more on networking for startup businesses and entrepreneurs and providing financial support in the way of investments.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2016-01-14/story/one-spark-festival-wavering-elbow-businesses-want-their-own-party?utm_source=story_footer_recommendations&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=cxense#.VpfR13ZQuR0.twitter

[TheCat]

Thanks @joesampsonFL

One Spark Ventures Launches to Propel Festival to New Heights
One Spark Ventures Creates Long-Term, Sustainable Strategy for Success


JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The board of directors of One Spark, Inc., announced today the creation of a new social purpose corporation designed to evolve One Spark into a vehicle for long-term success and better connect creators with resources. One Spark Ventures (OSV) is committed to licensing and leveraging the One Spark brand to connect creators, communities and capital.

As a social purpose corporation, OSV is dedicated to making a positive impact on society in the tradition that was first created with the founding of the One Spark crowdfunding festival. OSV will maintain its mission of developing an ecosystem that allows creators and the community to thrive. It will also own, maintain and license the use of the One Spark brand. An evolution of One Spark is necessary to grow a sustainable model that supports creators and demonstrates that Jacksonville is a successful entrepreneurial city.

Peter Rummell, the key patron of One Spark since its premier in Jacksonville in 2013, will serve as the chairman of OSV. Chris Carter has joined the organization and will serve as its president. Carter has served in executive positions of Fortune 500 corporations in the areas of strategic business and corporate development, financial management as well as operations and administration. Following his corporate experience, Carter formed a consulting agency that worked extensively with companies in the interactive media, cable, entertainment, music, technology and consumer electronics industries. In this role, he worked on a number of pioneering initiatives that used emerging technologies to create innovative new ventures, products and services.

"The One Spark festival has created a long-lasting impact on our community, with countless small business owners and the Jacksonville entrepreneurial community as a whole crediting the festival with giving their idea and business life," said One Spark Board Chairman Peter Rummell. "It is time to take our mission one step further, by executing a master plan to ensure that we are an all-encompassing tool that will bring together creators and capital for long-term success."

As a social purpose corporation, OSV is dedicated to the creator networking and support of ideas that was first demonstrated with the founding of the One Spark Crowdfunding Festival. Since its premiere in Jacksonville in 2013 and Berlin in 2014, the One Spark Crowdfunding Festival has hosted more than 1,500 creators, raised nearly $400,000 in crowdfunding, had over 700,000 attendees, seen $7.9 million pledged in venture capital funds, reached nearly 165 million impressions via social media and garnered local, regional and national media attention.

"Since my initial conversations with the core team developing One Spark Ventures, we have discussed how to expand the One Spark crowdfunding platform, which provides talented creators seeking idea validation and capital, to better connect top creators with investment by local capital sources," said Chris Carter, president of OSV. "It will be the mission of One Spark Ventures to develop additional opportunities for creators to come to Jacksonville in very targeted events, to be exposed to the capital and other resources available to entrepreneurs, and to provide angel, venture capital and other investors a platform to engage with these startup opportunities, furthering One Spark's core vision of connecting creators to the community and capital."

OSV will organize a supporting network of venture capital, private and angel investors and provide them with high-level, pre-screened access opportunities to the top creators who have applied to participate in the One Spark 2016 Festival.

Elton Rivas, who has served as the CEO of One Spark, Inc., has tendered his resignation at the request of the board. As such, he will no longer serve in this role or serve on the board and will be pursuing other opportunities. Chris Byers, current One Spark, Inc. chief operating officer will continue to manage the day-to-day activities of the organization working closely with Carter as president of OSV.

"We are excited about the future – about creating a sustainable solution and about making sure that One Spark and Jacksonville remain synonymous with ideas and creativity," said Rummell.

OSV will carry out its mission through key components: core activities, long-term funding vehicles and supporting networks and partners.

Core activities
Ensuring the continuation of the One Spark Festival and One Spark, Inc. as the licensed operator of the festival will also be a major objective for OSV.  OSV will maintain a close and collaborative working relationship with One Spark, Inc. and offer support, ideas and strategic input.

Long-term funding vehicles
As the program matures, OSV will evaluate the opportunity to create a traditional venture capital fund to invest in the future development or launch of One Spark creator projects.

Supporting networks and partners
OSV will create an ecosystem to assist One Spark creators in the development and implementation of their ideas.  OSV will seek strategic partnerships, alliances and networks for this mission.  OSV will also form both an Investment Advisory Board, as well as a Technical Advisory Group, comprised of higher education leaders, industry experts and entrepreneurs, to provide guidance and expertise to One Spark creators.

About One Spark Ventures
One Spark Ventures (OSV) is a social purpose corporation whose commitment is to license and leverage the One Spark brand to connect Creators + Community + Capital.  OSV is dedicated to creating a positive impact on society through core activities, such as the One Spark festival, community support and local sponsorships, establishing long-term funding vehicles and developing supporting networks and partners to assist Creators in the development of ideas.

About One Spark
One Spark is a nonprofit committed to fostering environments of creativity and innovation through crowdfunding.  The company does this by connecting artists, entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world with the human and capital resources they need to move their ideas forward. The One Spark festival is one of the most efficient ways for individuals, teams and large companies to receive market validation. The event is the world's largest crowdfunding festival that brings together hundreds of thousands of people to support ideas and projects that inspire them via rewards-based crowdfunding.

SOURCE One Spark

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-spark-ventures-launches-to-propel-festival-to-new-heights-300202310.html

[mtraininjax]

One Spark have done to bring together something that has been called 'the most important event in the city of Jacksonville to ever happen.' "

Wait, weren't the video boards that can be seen from outer space the most important event, I mean they are a game changer so said Mayor Alvin Brown.