Cricket Wireless Names Chicago Entrepreneur as a Finalist

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Zondra Hughes (left), founder of Six Brown Chicks and finalist in the Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs contest is pictured with Eileen Dorn, Cricket Wireless Territory Sales Manager during an in-store celebration on Small Business Saturday. As a finalist, Hughes is eligible to receive the grand prize package of up to $5,000 in cash and mobility prizes. Photo provided courtesy of Steed Media Group ©

CHICAGO–Cricket Wireless does more than sell phones, but the company also invests into local communities. One way it has done that is by launching its first “Cricket Community Stars: Salute to Solopreneurs Contest.”
Chicagoan and founder of the blog Six Brown Chicks, Zondra Hughes, is a finalist. Applicants from seven markets such as Atlanta, Houston and Los Angeles submitted applications. The contest recognizes those businesses that are ran by one person, hence “solopreneurs.” Only those leaders who are truly involved in their communities were considered. Finalists will place either first, second or third. All winners will receive a cash prize, a Samsung Galaxy s5 and free service.
1st Place: $5,000, Samsung Galaxy s5 with 1 year of Cricket service
2nd Place: $2,500, Samsung Galaxy s5 with six months of Cricket service
3rd Place: $1,000, Samsung Galaxy s5 with three months of Cricket service
Hughes said that she already knows how she will use her prize package if she places on Dec. 19th, when the winner is announced.
“Two of my bloggers are volunteers and one of them goes to the library to write her stories because she doesn’t have a laptop, I’ll be able to buy her one,” she said.
Hughes wants to provide two bloggers with new laptops so they can work from anywhere.
“They are so invested in blogging that I want to make sure they have the tool to do so,” she said.
Hughes will also be able to bring “The Black Social Network” to Atlanta, a play that has already been at Chicago State University. It looks at the impact social media has on a person’s reputation and offers suggestions on how to create a strong and positive media presence. The targeted audience is college students, Hughes said.
“Some of them aren’t getting jobs or interviews because of what they’re doing online and social media is not your friend if you don’t know how to use it,” she said. “Everything you do online follows you so that’s what the play is about.”
As the owner of Six Brown Chicks, Hughes couldn’t live without technology so she knows firsthand the importance of good social media etiquette. The blog creator started the website three years ago and said it has evolved into a safe, judge free online community for women.
She has plans to grow her team.
Cricket Wireless Spokesman Jermaine Spight said that the company deals with a lot of small business owners.
“We pride ourselves on being a community brand,” he said. “As a brand, Cricket gives back to the community so we definitely wanted to highlight those in the communities where our stores are at.”
Spight said that this contest is something that will continue, as well as expand into more markets in the future.

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