Unconventional thinkers wanted.

We’re looking for innovators and disruptors like you who bring bold ideas to the table. Enter today to help us celebrate your unconventional thinking.

Emcee in bright magenta suit holds mic on stage while two award winners hold their trophies.

A new legacy of defying legacy.

In 2023, we celebrated our 2nd annual Unconventional Awards, kicking off a new annual tradition of celebrating our customers who are anything but traditional thinkers. Here’s to those winners—the disruptors and trailblazers who empowered their organizations by breaking industry norms.

2024 AWARD CATEGORIES

Now it’s your turn.

Innovation in customer experience.

Recognizes innovators that better serve their customers and deliver a truly human brand experience.

Open to T-Mobile for Business customers with 500+ employees.

Innovation in industry.

Recognizes pioneers who bring new innovations to industries by challenging the status quo.

Open to T-Mobile for Business customers with 500+ employees.

Innovation in employee enablement.

Recognizes trailblazers who find new and unconventional ways to bring out the best in their teams.

Open to T-Mobile for Business customers with 500+ employees.

Innovation in community.

Recognizes disruptors in Government, Education, and Public Safety who bring new innovations to their organizations.

Open to T-Mobile for Government and T-Mobile for Education customers.

We’re celebrating the top three innovators in each category.

We’ll be awarding first, second, and third place prizes for the trailblazers in each of our categories: customer experience, employee enablement, innovation in industry, and innovation in community. Winners will receive a personalized trophy and be featured in a press release and social media.

1st place

$25K

to the charity of your choice.

2nd place

$10K

to the charity of your choice.

3rd place

$5K

to the charity of your choice.

WSJ Custom Content.

Each 1st place category winner will also be featured in Wall Street Journal Custom Content.

Wall Street Journal Custom Content is a unit of The Wall Street Journal Advertising Department. The Wall Street Journal news organization was not involved in the creation of this content.

NOMINATE A DISRUPTOR.

Send us an email at unconventional.awards@t-mobile.com with the nominee’s name, category, contact info, and a short description of why you’re nominating them. We’ll let them know you nominated them and encourage them to enter. Nominee must be a current customer.

Attend the 2024 T-Mobile for Business Unconventional Awards.

Date: October 9th, 2024
Check back for event registration details.

The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign at sunset. The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign at sunset. The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign at sunset. The Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign at sunset.

An event like no other:

Get unparalleled access to emerging technologies and information.

Connect with peers, tech leaders, and influential decision makers across some of the biggest brands in the business.

Draw wide attention to your team and your brand’s innovation.

Enjoy exclusive bragging rights for your business’s unconventional thinking.

Last year's winners.

Last year we recognized nine organizations that went above and beyond to drive business forward and transform their industries.

Innovation in customer experience.

These awards recognize innovators who deliver a truly human brand experience.

Infosys.

First place

Infosys combines data-driven analytics, AI, virtual reality, and robotics to deliver an immersive and extraordinary tennis experience that redefines the future of sports interaction for fans and athletes.

Delta Air Lines.

Second place

Delta Air Lines has redefined travel and elevated accessibility in the skies with improved hardware and free T-Mobile Wi-Fi, to deliver connectivity at 30,000 feet that closely matches what passengers would find at home.

Easterseals Disability Services.

Third place

Easterseals Disability Services embraced virtual programming to create a virtual community that empowers people with disabilities to engage, fostering digital equity, inclusion, and access.

Innovation in employee enablement.

These awards recognize trailblazers who find new and unconventional ways to bring out the best in their teams.

The Walt Disney Studios.

First place

T-Mobile collaborated with The Walt Disney Studios’ Technology teams—StudioLAB and Production Technology—to make on-set production wireless via the T-Mobile 5G network, enabling near real-time communication and file sharing between creative executives and production teams from thousands of miles apart.

Southland Companies.

Second place

Southland Companies worked with T-Mobile and Allgeo to deploy advanced timekeeping software through handheld devices that lets employees log their presence on jobsites to help ensure rapid response in case of accident or injury.

Black & Veatch.

Third place

Black & Veatch hosted a GenAI tournament that challenged its employees to apply generative AI to identify areas for improvement across the company. They found new efficiencies, cut costs, and drove business innovation.

Innovation in industry.

These awards recognize pioneers who challenge the status quo in their respective industries.

Boston Children's Hospital.

First place

Boston Children’s Hospital harnessed T-Mobile 5G technology to build a holistic, secure cellular infrastructure that transforms healthcare delivery, streamlines medical workflows, and enhances patient outcomes.

Royal Caribbean Group.

Second place

Royal Caribbean pioneering waste-to-energy systems, AI-driven food waste reduction, and far-reaching Green Hubs Program, demonstrate a dedication to ocean preservation and sustainable tourism that sets a new industry standard.

ComEd, an Exelon Company.

Third place

ComEd disrupts utility-industry norms with its trailblazing drone program, powered by a pioneering spirit and 5G connectivity from T-Mobile, optimizing its operations, enhancing safety, and propelling innovation to new heights.

Innovation in community.

These awards recognize leaders who find creative ways to serve their communities.

City of Bellevue.

First place

Utilizing cutting-edge T-Mobile 5G technology, the City of Bellevue enhances public safety by delivering near real-time notifications through early visual and audible warnings, effectively mitigating road crashes.

Hampton-Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Department.

Second place

The Hampton-Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Department united real-time situational awareness and communication with transformative apps and T-Mobile 5G, helping it safeguard lives and the community it serves.

Chicago Public Schools Students in Temporary Living Situations Department.

Third place

Chicago Public Schools empowered more than 1,000 homeless unaccompanied children with connectivity and resources to break down barriers, foster academic success, and nurture their well-being.

T-Mobile for Business Unconventional Award Search 

Terms & Conditions 

The T-Mobile for Business Unconventional Award Contest (“Search”) begins at 12:00am Pacific Time (“PT”) on April 1, 2024 (“Start Time”) and ends at 11:59pm PT on July 31, 2024 (“End Time”, and the duration between the Start Time and End Time is the “Search Period”).  

WHO MAY MAKE A SUBMISSION: Open to entities (“Entrant”) who are current T-Mobile for Business (“TFB”) or T-Mobile for Government / T-Mobile for Education (“TFG/TFE”) customers during the entire term of the Search through the awarding of any prizes and, in the case of TFB entrants, have 500 or more employees or have been designated a “strategic” account by T-Mobile in its sole discretion. Employees (and their immediate families (parent, child, spouse or sibling and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and those living in their same households, whether or not related) of T-Mobile USA, Inc. (“Promoter”), the Judges (as defined below) and their respective employers and employees, and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and advertising and promotion agencies are not eligible to participate. Search is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. Void where prohibited by law.  

HOW TO MAKE A SUBMISSION: During the Search Period, go to https://www.t-mobile.com/business/unconventional-awards and fill out the entry form for your entity (each, a “Submission”). All Submissions must be received by the End Time to be eligible. Entrants must completely fill out the submission form and all details and information provided within each submission must be truthful and accurate.  

JUDGING. All eligible Submissions will be judged by an individual with unique perspective and experience as chosen by Promoter (“Luminary”) for the Luminary Prize (as defined below) and a panel of judges selected by Promoter (“Judges”) for the Panel Prizes (as defined below. Assuming sufficient eligible entries are received and are in compliance with these Rules, Luminary will select one winner for the Luminary Prize and the Judges will select a first, second, and third place winner of the Panel Prizes for each of the Categories (as defined below) on or about August 15, 2024. By entering, all Entrants agree to be bound to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Promoter, Luminary, and Judges, which are final and binding in all respect. Participating members of the judging panel will be selected by Promoter (in its sole discretion). 

The Submissions will be judged based on the following judging criteria for the Panel Prizes: Embraces Unconventional DNA (33%); Originality of Solution/Creativity of Idea (34%); and Impact of Solution (33%); with up to 10% in bonus points for the use of AI. For the Luminary Prize, the Submissions will be judged on the criteria as for the Panel Prizes, with weighting to be determined by Luminary in their sole discretion.  All Submissions must be based on the use of the T-Mobile cellular network. In the event of a tie in judging of the Panel Prizes, the tie will be broken among all tied Submissions, by awarding the prize to the Submission with the highest score in the Originality of Solution/Creativity of Idea category. First, Second, and Third place potential recipients from eligible TFB Submissions will be chosen in each of the categories of a) Innovation in Customer Experience, b) Innovation in Employee Enablement, and c) Innovation in Industry, and First, Second, and Third place potential recipients from eligible TFG/TFE Submissions (together with the TFB potential recipients, the “Potential Panel Recipients”) will be chosen under the category of Innovation in Community (together with the TFB categories, the “Categories”). Promoter shall have the right to conduct a background check on any Potential Panel Recipients and the potential Luminary Prize recipient (together, the “Potential Recipients”). Promoter reserves the right to reject any Potential Recipient for any or no reason. An Entrant may make a submission in more than one award category, but may only receive a prize in one award category (for clarity, the winner of the Luiminary Prize may not also receive a Panel Prize). 

PRIZES: The Luminary Prize will include a $25,000 donation to a 501(c)(3) charity of the winning Entrant’s choice and inclusion in an article to appear at a later date in the Wall Street Journal (“Publisher”) covering the T-Mobile for Business Unconventional Awards (with timing and content subject to Publisher’s performance and availability) (the “Publisher Article”). First prize for each Panel Prize Category will include a $25,000 donation to a 501(c)(3) charity of the winning Entrant’s choice and inclusion in the Publisher Article. Second and Third prizes for each of the Categories will include $10,000 and $5,000 donations, respectively, to 501(c)(3) charities of each winning Entrant’s choice. The Luminary Prize and each prize for the TFB Category will also include airfare, hotel, and Mobile World Congress entrance passes for 2 for each winning Entrant, with all travel and lodging arrangements to be handled by Promoter’s event agency in Promoter’s sole discretion. Each potential recipient charity is subject to Promoter’s approval in Promoter’s sole discretion.  

GENERAL CONDITIONS: By participating, each Entrant agrees:  

(a) to abide by these Terms and Conditions and decisions of Promoter and its designees, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Search;  

(b) to release, discharge, indemnify and hold harmless Promoter, and its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, members, franchisees and licensees, and advertising and promotion agencies, and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and representatives of the forgoing (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind to persons, including death, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from participant’s participation in the Search or any Search-related activity or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any item awarded; 

(c) to the use of Entrant’s company name, trademark, Submission, and any submitted comments from Entrant representatives regarding the Search or the Submission, for programming, advertising, publicity and promotional purposes in any and all media, now or hereafter known, worldwide and on the Internet, and in perpetuity by Promoter, and their designees, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) or additional consents from Entrant or any third party and without prior notice, approval or inspection, and to execute specific consent to such use;  

(d) that the Released Parties are released from any liability arising from the use described in the preceding paragraph, including, without limitation, claims for invasion of privacy, infringement of any right of publicity, or defamation (including libel and slander); 

(e) Entrant will not release any publicity or other materials on their own or through someone else regarding their participation in the Search without the prior consent of the Promoter, which may be withheld in Promoter’s sole discretion; and 

(f) Entrant represents and warrants that (i) it is the owner of the copyright and all other rights in and to the all content, concepts, and other intellectual property rights contained in the Submission or has valid licenses or releases to empower Entrant to provide the licenses and permissions required by these Terms & Conditions; and (ii) it is fully authorized to agree to the terms of these Terms & Conditions. 

MISCELLANEOUS: Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered, or garbled Submissions or tweets, or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), websites, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Search, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Search, the processing or review of Submissions or tweets, the announcement of the award, or in any Search-related materials. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Search. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to any person's computer related to or resulting from participating in this Search or downloading materials from or use of websites. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Search or websites, who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Terms and Conditions, as solely determined by Promoter, will be disqualified and all associated Submissions will be void. Should any portion of the Search be, in Promoter’s sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Promoter, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper play, or submission of Submissions, Promoter reserves the right at its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Search (or portion thereof) and, if terminated, at its discretion, select the potential Recipient from all eligible, non-suspect Submissions received prior to action taken using the Recipient determination process outlined above. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SEARCH MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, PROMOTER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION. 

GOVERNING LAW: All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Terms and Conditions, or the rights and obligations of the participant, Promoter in connection with the Search, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Washington without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of the State of Washington or any other jurisdiction). 

PROMOTER: T-Mobile USA, Inc., 12920 SE 38th Street, Bellevue, WA 98006.  

We will connect with you, as space has been reserved for winners.

July 31, 2024, at 11:59pm PST.

We will connect with you to set up telepresence or a pre-recorded video.