May 11, 2017 | 5 - 8 P.M.
SPARK Hollywood is an event that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship for local startups, entrepreneurs, small businesses and inventors in Hollywood and South Florida. The event has three main objectives:
(1) provide a competition for selected contestants to pitch their idea or invention to a panel of judges to win prizes.
(2) provide an opportunity for start-ups to showcase their ideas, inventions and products during a “trade show” open to the public.
(3) provide an opportunity for early-stage entrepreneurs to learn about resources available in the City of Hollywood and the rest of the South Florida region while networking with potential investors and experts who may help start their ventures or grow existing endeavors.
There are no “typical applicants” for SPARK Hollywood. Entrepreneurs and ideas come from every walk of life, every industry sector, and every age group. Contestants can be individuals or a team developing an idea. Some entrepreneurs may have a new business which is already marketing and selling while others may only have a business concept and are working to get to market. Ideas and innovative products may be at any stage of development from creation of concept to a finished product or business.
SPARK Hollywood will be held on Thursday, May 11th, 2017 at Hollywood’s ArtsPark. Selected contestants will have the opportunity to give a three-minute presentation of their innovative idea/business to a panel of judges comprised of local community leaders, investors, and professionals. The judges will select the contestants whose ideas will be awarded first, second, and third place prizes based on a variety of criteria.
If you have the next great idea or business, click the Apply link below. Applications must be submitted before
April 21st, 2017.
We believe great ideas can be discovered anywhere and so we look for them everywhere. We believe in ideas that create new ways to live productive lives. We believe imagination can work. No one can predict the next smart idea or the next great innovation. But we do know, innovation will move people and strenghthen communities.
purchase ticketsKEYNOTE SPEAKERS / JUDGES
State Senator at State of Florida
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State Senator at State of Florida
Ring was born in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1970, and attended Syracuse University, graduating in 1992 and later opening the first East Coast office of Yahoo. In 2006, when incumbent Democratic State Senator Skip Campbell was unable to seek re‐election due to term limits, Ring ran to succeed him in the 32nd District, which included Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, and Sunrise in northeastern Broward County. He faced Broward County Mayor Benjamin Graber and James W. Haddad in the Democratic primary and won.
In 2010, the Sun‐Sentinel endorsed Ring for re‐election praising his "willingness to work with rival Republicans to advance public policy" and his "firmer grasp of business developmentand the importance of properly funded and targeted university investments." Ring ended up
defeating Laffey in a landslide and received 63% of the vote.
Following the reconfiguration of the state's legislative districts in 2012, Ring was moved into the 29th District, which retained most of the territory that he had previously represented, while expanding westward into Weston. He won the Democratic primary uncontested, and faced college student Soren Swensen, the Republican nominee, in the general election. The
Sun‐Sentinel endorsed him for re‐election, arguing, "He's one of the few state lawmakers that can talk authoritatively about venture capital strategies one minute and devise a bill to tweak a problematic law to help city pension plans stay solvent the next." Ring easily defeated Swensen with 64% of the vote to win his final term in the State Senate.
Speaker, Mentor, Serial Entrepreneur
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Speaker, Mentor, Serial Entrepreneur
Erika Obando is quite the serial entrepreneur. With two successful careers in legal and commercial design under her belt, she is also the Founder of SidePreneur 360 which is a media marketing firm handling national and international media presence for various businesses. She offers high-level strategic media planning with personal branding for her clients.
She is also an influential speaker that focuses her efforts on women empowerment and advocating entrepreneurship thru the art of reinvention. She recently took the renown Tedx Stage in which she shared her story of "When Breaking Points Lead To Empowerment".
Mayor of Hollywood
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Mayor of Hollywood
Josh Levy grew up in Hollywood and graduated from Hollywood Hills High School in 1992. He attended the University of Florida where, in 1996, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Levy went on to earn a Law Degree from Nova Southeastern University, where in 2000, he graduated with Pro Bono Honors and a Certificate of Concentration in International Legal Practice. Aside from being the Mayor of Hollywood, Levy currently serves as General Counsel and oversees Corporate Development for his family’s Hollywood-based automobile dealership.
Levy first began public service with the City 18 years ago, when he served as a law clerk in the City of Hollywood City Attorney’s Office. Later, he was appointed by the Hollywood City Commission to serve as a member of the City’s Planning & Development Board, a position which Levy held for twelve years. Over the years, Levy also served as President, Director and Education Committee Chairperson of the Hollywood Hills Civic Association. Levy is a graduate of the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Hollywood program, the Hollywood Police Department’s Citizen’s Police Academy and is a recipient of the City of Hollywood’s Great Neighborhoods Challenge Community Spirit Award. Levy is also an active member of the Hollywood Historical Society, the Rotary Club of Hollywood, the Broward County Tourist Development Council, and CareerSource Broward. Levy and his wife, Jacqueline, have two young children, Madeline age seven and Jacob age four. During his term as Mayor, Levy is committed to improving neighborhoods, ensuring public safety, helping to improve public schools and stimulate economic growth and job creation.
Founder StartupPOP
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Founder StartupPOP
Dan is an entrepreneur, speaker and writer on startups, online dating, web analytics and big data. Over the past 3 years Dan has run 19 Tech Startup Pitch Events out of Boca Raton called StartupPOP and is expanding StartupPOP nationally. Dan co-founded several startups, the most well known being Pre-Dating Speed Dating, the largest speed dating event company in the US. Dan has worked in management or as a consultant for Bell Atlantic, Office Depot, NTT Corp, Victoria's Secret and abc distributing. Dan has written 4 books on Tech Startups available on Amazon.com. Dan has an MBA from FAU and a BA from University of Maryland.
Founder / President of Daniels + Roberts, Inc
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Founder / President of Daniels + Roberts, Inc
Dan Muggeo is the founder and president of Daniels + Roberts, Inc., a thirty-year-old strategic marketing and communications firm. He is deeply involved in research, analysis, strategic planning and the assurance of marketing and sales alignment, working closely with clients ensuring the attainment of strategic and financial objectives.
Daniels + Roberts’ experience includes a broad range of marketing solutions for emerging companies, Fortune 100 enterprises, industry-wide associations, non-profits and social initiatives. Industries include: technology, travel, tourism & hospitality, consumer package goods, durables, financial services and healthcare.
5Four Digital Founder
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5Four Digital Founder
John D. Saunders is a Digital Marketing Strategist with 8+ years experience in building brands online. Working with brands like Land Rover, Audi and the NAACP, he has utilized Website Development, Content Marketing and Social Media to create marketing campaigns that resonate with the consumer. His main focus is to provide VALUE to business owners and entrepreneurs through actionable marketing tactics. Launching an online course with more than 1,900 active students, John hopes to continue spreading digital marketing knowledge around the world and providing stellar marketing tactics via his Marketing Agency, 5Four Digital.
arts park at young circle
1 E YOUNG CIR,
Hollywood, FL 33020
Applications must be received by April 21st, 2017. Besides some basic biographical info, the submission of a written document describing the idea/business is needed. Check out the Event Guidelines for more info.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch. At SPARK Hollywood, FL, we are all about fostering ideas. In fact, we’d like to pay you! If you are one of the top presenters, you can walk away with some nice cash to help you get your idea to market!
SPARK Hollywood, FL loves a good idea… it doesn’t matter whether you’ve gotten it off the ground last year or not. If you’ve got a good idea, we want to know about it and share it with the world to help you. Get your business details together and apply now.
Nope, in fact SPARK Hollywood, FL is working with the local schools to invite students to participate. We believe great ideas are a product of great minds, regardless of age.
Check out the event guidelines.
Once SPARK Hollywood, FL has all the applications (remember, April 21st is the deadline). The entry judges will then determine the Finalists, who will be invited to present their idea in a three minute “fast pitch” to the SPARK judges at the main event, May 11th at Hollywood’s ArtsPark venue. The top three finalists will be awarded a cash prize and serious bragging rights!
