{"id":18811,"date":"2021-11-12T14:57:46","date_gmt":"2021-11-12T19:57:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/?p=18811"},"modified":"2021-11-12T15:37:22","modified_gmt":"2021-11-12T20:37:22","slug":"a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In 2015, two best friends \u2013 Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel- decided to drop out of college in order to chase after their dream: an online arts education company called <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong>. They had a passion for entrepreneurship, collective skills that uniquely fit their vision, and a thirst for learning about the the various facets of starting a company. They were also motivated by a love of all things creative. <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a> <\/strong>was founded on the belief that all kids deserve more creativity in their lives&#8211; specifically through access to affordable, high-quality art education. While they started out small as a team of two, Tim and Dwayne worked nonstop to grow their initial vision. Over the past few years, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong> has continued to grow\u2014adding increasing numbers of art classes, students, and members to the Sparketh team.<\/p>\n<p>This year (2021) on October 22, the two best friends and co-founders of <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong> crossed an exciting and rare milestone&#8211;they were featured on the hit show, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/abc.com\/shows\/shark-tank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shark Tank<\/a><\/strong>. If you missed the live episode, just skip over the next paragraph\u2026 and photos (spoiler alert!)<\/p>\n<p><em>Sidenote: If you haven&#8217;t seen it yet, you can watch Sparketh&#8217;s Shark Tank episode on Hulu. It\u2019s the third episode of the current season (13).<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Sparketh\u2019s dynamic duo wowed the judges with their vision, their enthusiasm, and their presentation. Ultimately, they scored a \u201cdouble shark deal,\u201d with Barbara Corcoran (\u201cThe Queen of Real Estate\u201d) and Daniel Lubetzsky, guest shark and founder\/executive chairman of the KIND empire.\u00a0 However, Sparketh&#8217;s deal had a contingency. Barbara and Daniel decided to invest $100, 000 in exchange for 20% of Sparketh&#8230; but only if Dwayne and Tim can show proof of profitability in six months. The clock is ticking!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-18818 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092813\/RpjByTNA-300x225.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"389\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092813\/RpjByTNA-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092813\/RpjByTNA-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092813\/RpjByTNA-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092813\/RpjByTNA-1536x1151.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092813\/RpjByTNA-400x300.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092813\/RpjByTNA-600x450.jpeg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 389px) 100vw, 389px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>As a member of the Sparketh team, I was eager to hear from Tim and Dwayne about what it was like to be on Shark Tank. In the following Q &amp; A, we talked about their\u00a0 Shark Tank experience, their evolving vision for Sparketh, and why these co-founders think that creativity is one of the most valuable qualities someone can possess.<\/p>\n<h2>On the Shark Tank Experience<\/h2>\n<h4><b>How long have you watched Shark Tank and when did you know you wanted to go on the show?\u00a0<\/b><b><\/b><\/h4>\n<p><em>Dwayne:<\/em> I&#8217;ve been watching the show for over a decade&#8211;since I was a kid really. So I&#8217;ve pretty much <em>always<\/em> thought it would be cool to be on it. We started the process of applying to be on Shark Tank last spring. <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There was a lot involved in the process in terms of submitting tapes and videos and paperwork, but it was all part of the journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b><\/b><b>What was the actual experience of being on Shark Tank like?\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Dwayne:<\/em> Well, first of all, what you see on TV was like a 10-15 minute feature, but in reality we were in there for about 50 minutes. We talked to the sharks a lot more than you got to see on the episode and went into much more depth about <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong>. The Shark Tank room is also <em>really<\/em> big. I don&#8217;t know if it was more spread out than usual because of Covid protocols, but it is huge. Another thing I wanted to mention is that, even though Tim was like in power pose during the whole presentation, he wasn\u2019t feeling well at all that weekend. He was feeling pretty bad that whole day and then pulled himself together right before going into the tank and stuck it out.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Tim:<\/em>\u00a0 But something pretty funny did happen right in the middle of our pitch.\u00a0 One second we were talking, and then someone yelled, &#8220;Stop!&#8221;\u00a0 The cameras stopped. The Sharks stopped. We stopped talking. Then someone from the crew just walked up to me and whispered in my ear, \u201cHere, take this.\u201d They handed me a folded up paper towel and said, &#8220;You\u2019re sweating.&#8221; They dabbed my face, walked off, and said, &#8220;Continue.&#8221; Then everything just went back like it never happened. If you watch closely, I think you can see where I have a big bead of sweat on my forehead one minute and then it&#8217;s suddenly gone in the next shot.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Did you get the sharks you were expecting to get? Who were you expecting to be interested?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Dwayne:<\/em> Before we walked in there, we&#8217;d already thought through how each one of the sharks could bring something unique or valuable, either from their audience or their unique expertise. We kind of went in with an open mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>What was it like to watch your pitch on TV for the first time alongside friends and family?\u00a0<\/b><b><\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Tim<\/em>: It was very surreal and very funny. There was such a disconnect watching it on the screen.\u00a0 I kept thinking,\u00a0 &#8220;That wasn&#8217;t me,&#8221; or &#8220;That\u2019s funny that Dwayne was looking like that.&#8221; We\u2019d spent a lot of time beforehand trying to guess what story they would tell or what moments the editors would choose to pause on, so it was also really interesting to see which moments from the discussion were highlighted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Dwayne:<\/em> I don\u2019t really know what I expected it to feel like watching it because I was running around right up until it aired, but it was actually hilarious. I watched it sitting next to Tim and there were so many moments we were just laughing. I really didn&#8217;t recognize myself. And honestly, hats off to the editors too. Even though I knew the outcome, my heart was beating and I was feeling the suspense and the intensity&#8211; seeing the sweat and hearing all the little sound effects. Watching it with friends and family was awesome&#8211;the<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0energy in the room was great. Everyone was super hyped.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18814 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092802\/160058_5135-1-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"377\" height=\"251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092802\/160058_5135-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092802\/160058_5135-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092802\/160058_5135-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092802\/160058_5135-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092802\/160058_5135-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092802\/160058_5135-1-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 377px) 100vw, 377px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><b>Aside from getting a potential deal with 2 sharks, what was the most meaningful thing you\u2019ve taken away from your Shark Tank experience?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Tim<\/em>: It\u2019s such an awesome opportunity for any entrepreneur to go into the Shark Tank, especially if you&#8217;re bootstrap like we have been. It gives credibility &#8211; not just to your business- but to you as an entrepreneur. It\u2019s empowering to have such successful and powerful business people see and acknowledge the value in your business. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Even without any investment, their feedback alone is so valuable. <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong> has been a long-term project for us that has never really paid us anything significant or anything like that. But once we saw that these successful people were willing to invest in it, it really made it click for us and made us realize that this is a valuable business, and we are contributing something significant to the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Dwayne<\/em>: Absolutely agreed. A<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">s an entrepreneur, you sacrifice so much hoping that people will see your vision. It does bring validation to h<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">ave someone like that believe in you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18819 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092816\/uYK-Napw-225x300.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"294\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092816\/uYK-Napw-225x300.jpeg 225w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092816\/uYK-Napw-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092816\/uYK-Napw-1151x1536.jpeg 1151w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092816\/uYK-Napw-450x600.jpeg 450w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092816\/uYK-Napw.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 294px) 100vw, 294px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>On Sparketh<\/h2>\n<h4><b>Was there one specific moment that you can remember first thinking up Sparketh?\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Dwayne:<\/em> There was definitely a specific moment. It was right after we entered this Shark Tank style contest called Concept2Reality at Kennesaw State University. Our business proposition at the time was called Sirius, and it was a resource for kids that would help with various subjects. Around the same time that we were pitching that idea for the contest, Tim and I were working on a completely different business concept with a group of people, which fell through due to circumstances outside of our control. Anyway, it got us thinking: what project could the two of us team up about that we would both be passionate about? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That\u2019s when we both dedicated ourselves to this one idea. We took some things that we loved about the Sirius project and narrowed it down. Tim is really good at reverse-engineering<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and narrowing in on what we subject we should start with and what audience we should start with. We ended up deciding to focus on an online art education resource specifically geared towards the homeschool audience&#8211; with the goal of expanding into other creative learning, later on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>In the tank, Mark Cuban questioned what makes Sparketh different for students than just learning art on Youtube. We didn&#8217;t really get a chance to see you respond on the show, so can you respond to that now?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Dwayne:<\/em> Honestly. the answer to that is twofold. Firstly yes, Youtube has tons of content, but you have to spend so much time shifting through low-quality stuff to find something that is quality. Given that, it\u2019s hard to figure out a &#8220;path&#8221; for learning. In contrast, <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong> is custom-built for learning. We\u2019ve built out learning tracks that kids can follow to learn in a sequential way that builds their skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>That leads to the second major difference, which is platform. If you remove all of the content from Youtube and Sparketh, the fact is that Youtube is built for entertainment, but Sparketh is built for education. In building Sparketh, we have created educational features that go with the video content to enhance the learning experience: worksheets, vocabulary words, and key takeaways. Also, we have a whole <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/community.sparketh.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">community<\/a><\/strong> aspect&#8211;which offers kids an online place to continually support each other to create!<\/p>\n<h4><b>How do you manage being best friends and business partners? What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a business with a close friend or family member?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Dwayne<\/em>: In our friendship we already balance each other out, and our business relationship has really just been an extension of that. If you remove business and just observe the way we learn things together or work on little projects (or even sometimes get ourselves into stupid situations), there\u2019s always a sense of balance there. To anyone out there wanting to start a business with a good friend, I\u2019d suggest that you make sure there\u2019s genuine balance in your dynamic. With us, it&#8217;s not all fun and games, but the fun and games is a great addition because he\u2019s my best friend.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Tim<\/em>: I agree! I\u2019d also advise someone who is considering starting a business with a friend or family member to pick a business that you are both passionate about. For us, we\u2019re both very creative in different ways. Creativity has always been something that we\u2019re both very passionate about, so that makes <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong> feel less like business and work all the time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>What would you like to see happen with Sparketh within the next year?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Tim:<\/em> I\u2019d love to see three more creative subjects fleshed out on the site so that kids who are creative &#8211; but maybe not into traditional art &#8211; will have creative learning resources too! That&#8217;s something we&#8217;ve always wanted to do, and I&#8217;d like to see it happen within the next year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Dwayne:<\/em> I&#8217;d also like to continue to grow our creative community of kids, and I&#8217;d love to see us building out even more progressive tracks so that kids can get into even more advanced creative skills.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-18816 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092808\/dsc0149_720-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"187\" height=\"281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092808\/dsc0149_720-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092808\/dsc0149_720-400x600.jpg 400w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092808\/dsc0149_720.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 187px) 100vw, 187px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>On Creativity<\/h2>\n<h4><b>What have you found to be the most important way that creativity and entrepreneurship overlap? What has been the most important way that creativity has impacted your business?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><em>Tim:<\/em> <\/span>I think creativity has enhanced our problem-solving skills and that helps with pretty much anything. You\u2019re always going to have problems in anything you attempt. Success really comes down to how well are you able to solve those problems, and c<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">reativity is what helps you solve those problems. As long as we continue to be creative, we will continue to get further and further along in our journeys. <\/span>Being creative in the concept we developed in Sparketh, and in the way we presented it, also helped us connect with so many of the right people and families who have also helped us in this process.<\/p>\n<p><em>Dwayne<\/em>: Additionally, I think that creativity and entrepreneurship go together well because creativity is all about idea generating, and entrepreneurship is about idea implementing.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-18815 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092805\/dsc0151_720-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"248\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092805\/dsc0151_720-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092805\/dsc0151_720-400x600.jpg 400w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092805\/dsc0151_720.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 248px) 100vw, 248px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Sparketh is all about growing creative skills at home. Beyond the homeschooling space, why do you think that&#8217;s important?<\/h4>\n<p><em>Tim<\/em>: Growing your creative skills at home is so important in this day and age when the world is transitioning more and more to a remote workflow. If you make creativity a part of your home routines, then your skills will grow exponentially faster than the people who only create at work or in a classroom. Growing creative skills at home is the foundation to building a life abundant with creativity.<\/p>\n<h4><b>Most people agree that the nature of the modern \u201cjob\u201d is rapidly in flux, with new technology constantly creating new fields, and freelancers and entrepreneurs becoming more common than ever before. Can you talk about creativity&#8217;s role in all of this, especially for the upcoming generation?\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><i>Dwayne:<\/i> The new soft skill that everyone is looking for is creativity, and there&#8217;s a reason for that. These new emerging jobs are essentially just new problems to solve. As Tim was saying, creativity enhances problem-solving. It also means being more open-minded and curious, able to explore not just what is &#8220;now,&#8221; but to think about what is coming up next.\u00a0 Being in a creative state is almost like you&#8217;re living in the future while creating the future. Creativity gives kids the right tools to be prepared for the unknown. It helps them to be open to new possibilities and gives them the mindset to be innovative&#8230;to solve the problems of the future.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>What&#8217;s something that you&#8217;d like to say to people who saw you on Shark Tank or who are just curious to know more about Sparketh? Any final thoughts you&#8217;d love to share with readers?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-18907 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092940\/DSC0118-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092940\/DSC0118-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092940\/DSC0118-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092940\/DSC0118-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092940\/DSC0118-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092940\/DSC0118-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092940\/DSC0118-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><i>Tim: <\/i>We\u2019re passionate about creativity and everything that<i> has to do with creativity.<\/i> I might not\u00a0be the most &#8220;artsy&#8221; person, but I\u2019m passionate about creativity and that comes through in the different things I do for <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong>. I want to invite anyone who saw us on Shark Tank who is passionate and cares about creativity to reach out to us. If you want to be part of a creative movement for kids and teens and you love creativity &#8211; even if you\u2019re not an amazing artist- maybe there\u2019s some way we could chat, share ideas, or collaborate. We love meeting other creatives and people who are passionate about creativity!<\/p>\n<p><i>Dwayne:\u00a0 <\/i>And I also would want to say something to the kids and teens out there who are creative, but who have been beaten down by people they are around. If the school system, or the world, or anyone, has told you that you aren&#8217;t good enough or tried to shut you down, I want to tell you that there is a safe place for you at <em><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sparketh.com\">Sparketh<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Sure, Tim and I are the ones you saw on Shark Tank up there doing magic tricks, but every single person behind the logo of Sparketh team embodies creativity and is here to support you. Everyone on this team inspires me personally so much, creatively! Everyone behind the face of Sparketh is here to inspire creativity in kids and teens.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2015, two best friends \u2013 Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel- decided to drop out of college in order to chase after their dream: an online arts education company called Sparketh. They had a passion for entrepreneurship, collective skills that uniquely fit their vision, and a thirst for learning about the the various facets of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4300,"featured_media":18821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[406],"tags":[514,445,513,35],"class_list":["post-18811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiration","tag-after-shark-tank","tag-interview","tag-shark-tank","tag-sparketh","pmpro-has-access"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel - Sparketh<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Q &amp; A with Sparketh co-founders, Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel, following up on their Shark Tank debut!\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel - Sparketh\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Q &amp; A with Sparketh co-founders, Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel, following up on their Shark Tank debut!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sparketh\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"#\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-11-12T19:57:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-11-12T20:37:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kathryn Gustafson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@#\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kathryn Gustafson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/\",\"name\":\"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel - Sparketh\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092823\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-11-12T19:57:46+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-11-12T20:37:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#\/schema\/person\/efc1a6adb8e3e7efb061524e77df1fe0\"},\"description\":\"Q & A with Sparketh co-founders, Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel, following up on their Shark Tank debut!\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092823\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092823\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/\",\"name\":\"Sparketh\",\"description\":\"The Best New Way To Learn Art Online\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#\/schema\/person\/efc1a6adb8e3e7efb061524e77df1fe0\",\"name\":\"Kathryn Gustafson\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d2e6551e750be2cbb327814be3913e1222ca0e38f0a386d8cf8007b08482f29?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d2e6551e750be2cbb327814be3913e1222ca0e38f0a386d8cf8007b08482f29?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kathryn Gustafson\"},\"sameAs\":[\"#\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/#\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/author\/powell-kathryn1\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel - Sparketh","description":"Q & A with Sparketh co-founders, Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel, following up on their Shark Tank debut!","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel - Sparketh","og_description":"Q & A with Sparketh co-founders, Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel, following up on their Shark Tank debut!","og_url":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/","og_site_name":"Sparketh","article_author":"#","article_published_time":"2021-11-12T19:57:46+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-11-12T20:37:22+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Kathryn Gustafson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@#","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kathryn Gustafson","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/","url":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/","name":"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel - Sparketh","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092823\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2021-11-12T19:57:46+00:00","dateModified":"2021-11-12T20:37:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#\/schema\/person\/efc1a6adb8e3e7efb061524e77df1fe0"},"description":"Q & A with Sparketh co-founders, Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel, following up on their Shark Tank debut!","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092823\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/sparketh-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/07092823\/DSC0125-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/a-sparketh-q-a-with-co-founders-dwayne-walker-and-tim-samuel\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"A Sparketh Q &amp; A with Co-Founders Dwayne Walker and Tim Samuel"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/","name":"Sparketh","description":"The Best New Way To Learn Art Online","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#\/schema\/person\/efc1a6adb8e3e7efb061524e77df1fe0","name":"Kathryn Gustafson","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d2e6551e750be2cbb327814be3913e1222ca0e38f0a386d8cf8007b08482f29?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d2e6551e750be2cbb327814be3913e1222ca0e38f0a386d8cf8007b08482f29?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Kathryn Gustafson"},"sameAs":["#","https:\/\/x.com\/#"],"url":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/author\/powell-kathryn1\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18811","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4300"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18811"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18811\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sparketh.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}