[Skip to content](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/business/2026-innovate-awards#maincontent) [Newsroom](https://www.t-mobile.com/news)Toggle secondary navigation - [Network](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/network) - [Devices](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/devices) - [Un-carrier](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/un-carrier) - [Community](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/community) - [Offers](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/offers) - [Business](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/business) English [BusinessCategory](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/business)[Blog](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/blog) # Innovation That Moves Business Forward: Celebrating the 2026 T‑Mobile for Business Innovate Awards October 20, 2026 By George Fischer, Executive Vice President, Head of Sales and Distribution, T‑Mobile Business Group [Arrow Right Icon](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/_admin/uploads/2026/10/Innovate_Awards_1280x640.jpg) 4 min read - Facebook IconShare on Facebook - Share on Twitter - LinkedIn IconShare on LinkedIn Last night at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo in Orlando, we celebrated an important milestone: the fifth annual T‑Mobile for Business Innovate Awards. At the Disney Swan Pool & Cabana Bar, we brought this year’s customer innovation stories to life, recognized our winners onstage and enjoyed a live performance by Grammy-nominated artist Flo Rida. But for me, the highlight was celebrating organizations turning advanced connectivity into meaningful results for employees, customers, patients and communities. For five years, the [Innovate Awards](https://www.t-mobile.com/business/customer-innovate-awards) program has recognized customers that challenge familiar ways of working and turn emerging technology into measurable results. This year’s honorees are improving customer experiences, equipping employees, advancing industries and strengthening communities. The best innovation begins not with technology for its own sake, but with a customer, employee, patient, driver or community need — and a team determined to solve it. ## __Meet the 2026 Innovate Awards Winners__ __Innovation in Community__ __1st Place — Virginia Tech Transportation Institute:__ With the Virginia Department of Transportation and Crosstek, the institute developed an AI-powered roadside system that detects wildlife and warns drivers in real time. Thermal cameras, edge AI and T‑Mobile 5G enable remote operation along a rural Appalachian highway. Across more than 10,000 vehicle passes, testing showed average speed reductions of 3.2 to 3.9 mph when warnings were active. __2nd Place — Tie:__ Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Brookhaven Police Department __3rd Place:__ Prescott Regional Communications Center __Innovation in Employee Enablement__ __1st Place — First Student:__ HALO, First Student’s connected transportation platform, unifies AI-powered safety technology, real-time data and critical transportation operations to help teams make smarter decisions, improve driver performance and optimize fleets. Powered by T‑Mobile connectivity and Samsara’s AI-powered dash cams, HALO provides real-time visibility into routing, inspections, communications and safety, helping deliver a safer, more connected experience for every student. In a four-week pilot across six locations, data as of June 30, 2026, showed a 52% decrease in forward collision risk, a 49% decrease in rolling stops and a 45% reduction in inattentive driving events. __2nd Place:__ CBRE __3rd Place:__ CVS Health __Innovation in Customer Experience__ __1st Place — PwC:__ PwC is transforming fragmented customer and field service experiences with a patent-pending multimodal AI platform powered by a “common brain” context layer. Using T‑Mobile 5G, connected devices, enterprise mobility and Dialpad by T‑Mobile, it maintains context across voice, video, images and workflows. The platform is supporting enterprise transformations projected to generate millions in cost savings and revenue impact for clients across tech, travel and services industries. __2nd Place:__ UPS __3rd Place:__ Aramark Destinations __Innovation in Industry__ __1st Place — MaineHealth:__ MaineHealth is strengthening the digital infrastructure that supports modern healthcare across its system, including hospitals serving rural Maine communities. Working with T‑Mobile and other technology partners, MaineHealth is expanding reliable connectivity to support clinicians, virtual care, connected medical devices and emergency communications — creating a foundation for new tools and more connected environments. __2nd Place:__ San Diego Gas & Electric __3rd Place:__ Infosys Limited __Innovation in Impact__ __Recipient — Edwards Lifesciences:__ A global leader in structural heart innovation, Edwards Lifesciences develops patient-focused technologies to help people living with cardiovascular disease. Powered by T‑Mobile’s reliable 5G connectivity, Cordella’s heart failure management platform empowers patients and physicians to know what matters when it matters most. Edwards Lifesciences was selected for the Innovation in Impact designation by Gary Vaynerchuk, who joined this year’s program as our Luminary Judge and reviewed eligible submissions for significant innovation and measurable results. Known as “GaryVee,” Gary is a serial entrepreneur, Chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia. He is widely recognized for identifying cultural and internet trends that shape markets and consumer behavior. Our refreshed panel brought perspectives across technology, innovation, customer experience and business: Carolina Milanesi, President and Principal Analyst at Creative Strategies; Matt Griffin, Futurist in Chief at 311 Institute; Alyson Woodard, VP of Service Delivery and Customer Experience at T‑Mobile for Business; and Brian Kamenetzky, Senior Editor at The Trust | WSJ Barron’s Group. I’m grateful for their expertise. Each category’s first-place winner will receive a $25,000 charitable donation made on its behalf to an eligible nonprofit of its choice, plus custom Wall Street Journal content highlighting its innovation and impact. Edwards Lifesciences will receive a $30,000 charitable donation as the Innovation in Impact recipient, along with custom Wall Street Journal content. Each organization we celebrated started with a meaningful challenge, brought the right people and tools together, and stayed focused on making a difference. Congratulations to every finalist and winner, and thank you to the teams whose imagination, persistence and leadership made this work possible. Your progress reminds us that innovation is most powerful when it improves how people work, how customers are served and how communities move forward. Tags[5G](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/archive/5g)[Awards](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/archive/awards)[Business](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/archive/business)[Community](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/archive/community)[T-Mobile for Business](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/archive/t-mobile-for-business) ## Related Stories [More Stories](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/category/business) [ \ NetworkPress Release \ __T‑Mobile Teams Restore Connectivity and Provide Community Support as Gulf Coast Communities Recover from Hurricane Isaias (Updated 10/15)__  \ October 07, 2026|17 min read](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-helps-gulf-coast-communities-prepare-as-tropical-storm-isaias-strengthens) [ \ NetworkPress Release \ __T‑Mobile Continues Support Across Hawaiʻi as Hurricane Nolo Moves Away (Updated 9/27)__ \ September 25, 2026|4 min read](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-readies-network-and-response-resources-tropical-storm-nolo) [ \ NetworkPress Release \ __T‑Mobile Adds New AI-Powered Intelligence and Resilience to Make Its 5G Network Even Stronger__   \ September 24, 2026|8 min read](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-ai-and-resilience-make-5g-network-stronger) [ \ NetworkPress Release \ __T‑Mobile Supports Hawaiʻi Through Hurricane Lala with Network Recovery, Satellite Connectivity and Community Support (Updated 8/22/26)__ \ August 16, 2026|9 min read](https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobile-expands-network-recovery-and-customer-support-across-hawaii-following-hurricane-lala)