The idea for SPARKD Nation was born out of friendship, shared experience, and a deep passion for helping entrepreneurs, artists, and dreamers succeed.
Meet the Founders
Craig Smith
a lifelong entrepreneur and hospitality innovator
Ben Platt
a strategic financial leader and CPA
Justin White
a seasoned CTO and systems builder
The Founders
Between the three of us — Craig Smith, a lifelong entrepreneur and hospitality innovator; Ben Platt, a strategic financial leader and CPA; and Justin White, a seasoned CTO and systems builder — we’ve launched and scaled dozens of ventures across different industries. Along the way, we saw the same struggle repeat itself again and again:
Great people with great ideas… held back by alack of capital, lack of exposure, and lack of support.
Banks often turned away the very small businesses that needed help most. Brilliant artists and musicians couldn’t find the funding or audience they deserved. And even the most driven entrepreneurs struggled to grow without the right backing. We’d all lived those frustrations from different angles — and we’d also seen what happens when the right people, resources, and opportunities come together.
The results were powerful. But we wanted to take that feeling and make it available to everyone. That question kept driving us:
How can we help more entrepreneurs and creators grow — without the stress of loans, high-interest rates, or giving up equity?
Sparkd Nation Team
If we had billions, we’d fund them all. But instead of waiting for one billionaire, we imagined something better — a way to harness the collective power of thousands of everyday supporters.
That vision became SPARKD Nation — a crowd-based, gamified funding + marketing engine built to fuel small businesses, artists, and musicians through the power of community.
It’s not just about money — it’s about creating momentum. It’s about exposure, connection, and belief. Because when people come together to vote with their dollars, they don’t just fund businesses — they ignite dreams.That’s the spark behind SPARKD Nation.
That’s the spark behindSPARKD Nation
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