Over the past 3 weeks, I’ve been coaching a lineup of candidates for New Zealand’s latest crowdfunding platform, Spark My Potential.
Spark My Potential is a partnership between Spark (formerly Telecom), and givealittle. It aims to help raise funds for projects that really leverage the potential of an individual. The platform itself is invite-only. Project owners wishing to get on Spark My Potential must first launch a project on givealittle. Once launched, you need to prove your crowdfunding genius – you need to start raising your funds before your project is transferred over.
So why would you want to be on Spark My Potential? Put simply, givealittle and Spark My Potential both offer zero fees. That means that everything you raise, is yours. You’ll also get expert coaching advice. Right now, I’m the one doing the coaching, but soon enough I’ll be training up someone else to take over the reigns to put my focus back into Multitude. There’s also resources. A company like Spark has a lot of connections. For projects on Spark My Potential, this means doors will open.
But the really awesome thing is that projects on Spark My Potential are eligible for matching offers where every pledge you get over a certain period of time is matched dollar for dollar by Spark.
Which is what they’re doing this weekend. From now until midnight, Sunday 10 August, every pledge made to the 11 worthy initial candidates will be matched by Spark, up to their funding goal. I’m excited about these projects. Having worked pretty closely with them for the last 3 weeks to get their projects up and going, I can tell you that these people are hard-working and dedicated.
So with that, here’s a summary of the 11 initial Spark My Potential projects. If you like the sound of them, get pledging to make the most of that offer from Spark!!
1. Hayley Yu
Hayley was a latecomer to the lineup but is one of the most dedicated, passionate crowdfunders I’ve come across. This girl is going places, and you should want to help her get there. Hayley is passionate about food, and she wants to help people everywhere access healthy, affordable meals. A pretty worthy goal, but she’s got her work cut out for her! She wants to develop a financially sustainable social enterprise when she graduates from university, but she needs to work out how to do that. So her project is looking for $4,800 to fund flights to London so she can spend her Summer break in cold and dreary London, learning from the best in the biz.
Check out her project, Let’s Eat here.
2. Scott Granville
Scott has already published his first children’s book, The Chesterman Cats, and is seeking $3,000 to cover the printing costs of his second children’s book, Charles the Magnificent Pony. Scott is passionate about children’s literacy, and has designed Charles the Magnificent Pony to be both educational and entertaining. Pledges of over $25 will receive a copy of the final book, and if you pledge $100, you can donate a copy to your local school or library as well!
Check out Charles the Magnificent Pony.
3. Zac and Josh Lyon – 4Caps
At 22, Zac and Josh Lyon already have many achievements under their belt, but they’re not content to stand still. Over the next 4 years, they are going to walk each of the world’s 4 polar icecaps – Greenland, Antarctica, Patagonia and the North Pole. It’s not an easy feat and they have been training for months to prepare themselves. Mentored by experienced adventurer Rob Hamill, the twins are not jumping into this half-arsed, but need to raise $35,000 for the first leg – Greenland.
Find out more about 4Caps.
4. Amber Lenihan – Circe Parfum
Do you have a ‘signature scent’? I know I do. I’ve been wearing Estee Lauder Pleasures for around 5 years now. But did you know most scents on the market are manufactured from petrochemicals? Amber Lenihan wants to change that by starting New Zealand’s first natural perfume house. Born with extraordinary senses, Amber is obsessed with scents, and has been collecting the finest oils from around the world to start creating her own nose-tickling potions. But to do that she needs to raise $10,000 to make her first batch of 300 bottles. Pledges of $25 or more will be invited to sample her new range and provide feedback. A must-pledge for anyone who wants to support something truly unique and amazing.
Learn more about Circe Parfum.
5. Jacob Morris – Debut EP
16 year old Jacob Morris has taught himself to play music online. That might not sound incredible, until you watch him playing a double neck guitar… Jacob’s achieved great things so far – being awarded the National Musicianship Award at last year’s Smokefree Rockquest. He wants to make music his career, and so is looking for $10,000 to fund the recording of his first EP – which will be made available online for free.
Check out Jacob’s project here.
6. Scott Savage and Colleen Pugh (and also a whole heap of awesome artists)
Scott and Colleen are taking their art to the world, heading to LA and London later in the year. But that’s not what they’re raising funds for. Not content to only take their own work, they have curated a lineup of New Zealand’s finest Lowbrow artists, each of whom will be getting a space in their Tiny Travelling Gallery. They need to raise $2,500 to cover the base costs of the gallery, but have grand plans for if they can pull together even more funds. It’s a great way to get our art into the world. The fact that they are going to be taking two artists who I really love – Devon Smith and Jem Yoshioka – definitely helped get me excited about this one!
Find out more about the Tiny Travelling Gallery.
7. Jezza Williams – The Mongol Rally
The Mongol Rally is a trip of 10,000kms from London to Mongolia which is held annually. Participants are limited to a car of no bigger than 1,000cc, and must raise money for charity along the way. That’s a pretty epic adventure for anybody, but Jezza Williams is a C5 tetraplegic. Not that he lets something like a wheelchair get in his way. Jezza’s life has always been about adventure, and that hasn’t stopped since a canyoning accident in 2010. Genuinely one of the most inspiring people I have ever had the priveledge to talk to, you’ll fall in love with Jezza and his quest to prove that the only limitations in life are the ones you set for yourself.
Learn more about The Mongol Rally.
8. Ricardo Christie – Surf Pro
Turning pro in a sport which isn’t particularly popular in your home country is always hard. For Ricardo Christie, it’s meant getting to surfing tournaments around the world, lost sponsorships, quitting, getting back up again, and once again riding the waves. It’s a tough road, but he is determined to represent New Zealand on the Elite Pro Tour. To get there, he needs to get to some more events and earn some more places, so he’s funding $4,000 to get to Portugal for his next event.
Check out Surf Pro.
9. Chris Ofanoa – New Zealand Dance Company Apprenticeship
One thing arts organisations find difficult is getting people under the age of 35 to give money, outside of just buying tickets. The concept of patronage just doesn’t seem to be something we do as a generation. It’s a tough one, really. So the New Zealand Dance Company are trying something new. They want to offer Chris an apprenticeship. One year of full time work as a dancer in a professional dance company. For a kid straight out of a performing arts degree, it’s a dream come true. The catch? Chris has to crowdfund his salary. Looking for $35,000 (which is a high number for crowdfunding, but a low number when you consider it’s a guy’s salary, in Auckland), this project is taking the concept of patronage back to its roots – when a patron would directly support an artist they admired. I love this concept so much. Doesn’t hurt that Chris is also really, really good at what he does.
Find out more about the New Zealand Dance Company Apprenticeship.
10. Jess Berentson-Shaw – Muka Kids
Jess is on a mission to change the way we think about kids clothes. Her social enterprise, Muka Kids, will sell organic, fair-trade, unisex kids clothes – with a twist. She’ll enable parents to return the clothes back to the company when they’re outgrown for a discount on the next size up, a concept she calls ‘regooding’. Regood-ed clothes are re-sold, with the profits going into microfinance for women in India (where the cotton for the clothes is produced) who are working to better themselves. It’s a bit complicated, but it’s awesome. To really get Muka Kids off the ground, Jess is seeking $5,000 to cover a trip to India where she will document the entire process – from growing the cotton, right through to manufacture. When back home, she’ll use the remaining funds to produce and photograph the initial samples for her line.
Amazing huh? Learn more about Muka Kids here.
11. Iain Finer – #dreamlauncher
Iain is dreaming of space. After 11 years as an aircraft engineer, he’s gone back to university to learn more about engineering to further his goals. In the meantime, he’s not twiddling his thumbs. He’s designed a freaking ROCKET, and he wants to test the engine this Summer. But being a student, and requiring some pretty sophisticated fuel and gadgets, he’s fundraising $7,000 to help get him on the path to getting into the stratosphere.
Support Rocket Science Dream Launcher here.
Remember – all pledges made between 10:30am on the 8th of August and 12:00am Sunday 10 August will be doubled by Spark. Your dollar is literally worth twice as much if you get in early. These are some incredible dreams, but the platform is all or nothing. If you can help, I’m sure these amazing people will appreciate it.
Having been coached by me, they are all offering some amazing supporter journeys. Go behind the scenes of a surf competition, learn about rockets, choose Jezza’s car, or get Hayley to ask Jamie Oliver your question.
And if YOU have a project you think would be great for this platform, get started! There are instructions on the homepage, and plenty of tips for getting started right here at Multitude!
