BELLEVUE, Wash. — October 8, 2021 — This week, fifteen teams of visionary teens gathered at T-Mobile’s headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. for the Changemaker Challenge Lab, a nationwide contest by T-Mobile, the T-Mobile Foundation, and partner Ashoka to mobilize youth between ages of 13 and 18 who have bold ideas to create positive change in their communities. As part of the three-day event, the four top teams in each category (Environment, Education, Technology, and Family Challenge) pitched their ideas to change the world for good to T-Mobile executives for the chance to win a $15,000 seed funding grand prize. Once again, senior leaders were so impressed that they couldn’t choose just one winner. So, in an Un-carrier twist, they decided ALL four teams will receive a total of $15,000 in seed funding for their project AND mentorship from T-Mobile’s senior leaders to help develop action plans to turn their ideas into reality.
“At T-Mobile, we’re passionate about empowering the next generation to blaze new trails and that’s why nothing excites me more than giving these amazing young teams even more support through Changemaker Challenge to continue driving and innovating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues,” said Janice V. Kapner, T-Mobile’s Chief Communications and Brand Officer. “We were all so incredibly inspired by the pitches we heard at the Changemaker Challenge Lab. I know their future is bright, and can’t wait to see what all these teams will accomplish in years to come!”
To learn more about this year’s Changemaker Challenge Grand Prize winners, see below:
- Technology
Operation Serenity (Rochester, MN): An app that gives pediatric patients preparing for surgery peace of mind through kid-friendly simulations - Environment
Aquapods (San Jose, CA): A 100 percent plant-based, biodegradable sponge that combats water waste and leads to more fertile soil - Education
Medicine Encompassed (North Brunswick, NJ): A student-run non-profit organization working to solve the problem of underrepresentation in medicine - Family Challenge
Terracan (Bellevue, WA): A smart trash can and app that calculates your waste footprint to help reduce garbage
For more information about the Changemaker Challenge and to check out the full list of winners, visit t-mobile.com/changemaker.
About T-Mobile
T-Mobile U.S. Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond. Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint. For more information, please visit https://www.t-mobile.com.
About T-Mobile Foundation
The T-Mobile Foundation is committed to changing the world for good. The Foundation advances positive change in our communities by supporting causes that focus on youth development and by providing opportunities for T-Mobile employees to engage in causes that benefit the communities where they live and work. The T-Mobile Foundation, created and funded by T-Mobile US, Inc., is recognized by the IRS as a Section 501(c)(3) private foundation.
About Ashoka
Ashoka is the largest global network of leading social entrepreneurs—individuals with new ideas to systemically address the world’s biggest challenges and the entrepreneurial skill to transform those ideas into national, regional and global social impact. Over 35 years, Ashoka has supported more than 3,500 social entrepreneurs in 90 countries with solutions addressing society’s most pressing issues. Ashoka’s vision is a world in which Everyone is a Changemaker—a society that responds quickly and effectively to challenges, and where each individual has the freedom, confidence and societal support to address any social problem. For more information, visit ashoka.org.
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