One Spark, “the Worlds Crowdfunding Festival”, has quickly become a defining event for Jacksonville, Florida (where it all started) and the crowdfunding world. The city wide event has grown each year – something organizers expect to occur again in 2015. As part of the festival there are awards, including cash, for crowdfunding projects in six different categories: art, education, health & science, music, social good and technology. As part of this initiative, One Spark has opened up registration to become a juror with applications being accepted until January 2nd, 2015. The One Spark board of directors will be selecting the jurors which will be announced on February 14, 2015. Selection is based on their years of experience, quality of experience and overall body of work including awards and recognition in their application category.
The panel of jurors in each category will independently select the best projects in each category to receive a $15,000 cash prize on the final day of the April 7 – 12, 2015 event. Juries will define their own selection criteria specific to their category and will consider the originality, presentation and sustainability of projects as well as the project team’s ability to execute.
Last year, jurors included Full Sail University Professor Ron Cook of Sanford, Fla., MIT Professor Rodrigo Davies of Cambridge, Mass., Jacksonville Artists Guild Board Member Cookie Davis of Jacksonville, Fla., University of California 
Professor Noel Martin of La Jolla, Ca. and Startup Grind Tampa Bay Director Joy Randels of Bradenton, Fla.
“One Spark jurors play a critical role at the festival – selecting the most promising projects in each category and awarding a total of $75,000 to the creators representing them,” said One Spark Executive Director Joe Sampson. “That funding paired with the critical validation that accompanies it is extremely valuable to these teams. We’re looking for accomplished subject matter experts from around the world to select projects that not only represent great ideas, but those that have the right teams in place to bring them to life.”
