As the holiday season draws near, and food becomes central to family and social gatherings, a question looms: What happens to all the surplus food after the festivities?

The Hungree App is stopping food waste, with a transformative platform that addresses food insecurity while fostering community connections.

A Heart for Curing Hunger

Launched by Colorado resident and Nigerian-born innovator John Akinboyewa, the mobile app connects food providers with people in need in real-time, all within a specified geographical area.

Individuals and providers ranging from restaurants to offices, hotels and educational institutions are invited to list surplus food, which recipients then claim for pick-up – all through the app.

Akinboyewa’s mission is simple yet powerful – to eliminate food waste, combat food insecurity and strengthen community bonds.

The Colorado School of Mines graduate has always been driven by a desire to serve communities, but financial security experienced during his college career inspired him to create a solution for a problem he could directly relate to.

“I’d dig for change to buy food, only to find free pizza leftover from an event across campus,” he recalls, explaining that he could barely afford to purchase fast food from the value menu. He watched as surplus food left over from campus events was wasted, considering his own hunger and willingness to eat the perfectly edible food had it been offered.

After graduating with a degree in electrical engineering, he decided to focus on an entrepreneurial way to bridge the gap between leftover food and individuals looking for their next meal. His innovation, derived from his mother’s entrepreneurial influence, inspired him to develop the Hungree App.

Akinboyewa and a small team of developers started building the app last year, with a vision for global impact.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that no human being ever wastes food again,” he shares.

How Hungree Works

The mobile app is available on Android and Apple platforms, and operates with two roles: “providers” and “hungries.”

Providers are those offering food – they list surplus food items, specifying the time frame when it will be available for pickup.

Hungries are those seeking food. The app allows hungries to set location-based notifications, and when food is available they are able to submit a pickup request.

Once a request is accepted, the app reveals the pickup location where hungries can retrieve the food without disrupting the providers’ workflow.

The entire Hungree system is designed to ensure a seamless posting and delivery system, allowing users to alleviate hunger with efficiency, dignity and minimal waste. However, users are encouraged to exercise good discretion and conduct pickups with caution.

Overall, the ease of use is perfect for corporate meetings and events, private parties and even big restaurant chains, which can donate unused meals and ingredients at the close of business instead of dumping good food into trash bins.

Growth for Good

Hungree has gained significant traction; the app boasts thousands of users despite minimal marketing. However, its success has not come without challenges. With a team of less than 10, the business side of Hungree operates on limited funding, relying on contractors and campus ambassadors for support. Akinboyewa is actively seeking investments to help scale the platform, in the hope of reaching millions more within the next three years.

Expansion plans include partnership with delivery services to alleviate mobility issues and get good food into the hands of those most in need. In future phases, the app will allow for innovative new features, such as the ability to list compostable items for use by community gardens.

Beyond its immediate impact, Hungree also aligns with local, national and global sustainability goals, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Its potential to mitigate food waste, reduce environmental pollution and address social issues like hunger and isolation positions it as a game-changer.

It Takes a Village

The concept of “villages” forms the heart of the Hungree App.

Inspired by the concentric communities found in Nigerian culture, the app groups neighborhoods, apartment floors, offices and charitable organizations into “villages,” for pickup.

Organizations like Hope House Colorado, a support network for teenage mothers, have already joined the app as dedicated villages where members can access food listings tailored to their needs.

The app’s features allow users to identify specific villages where they would like excess food or compostable items to be shared. It also includes safeguards to prevent misuse, such as limits on how often a user can accept items and AI-powered recommendations for optimized distribution.

Currently available in eight languages – English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Turkish, Italian, Korean and Arabic – the app is poised to reach more than 100 languages by Spring 2025. Its user base spans five countries, including the United States, Nigeria, Colombia, Libya and India. Each region’s growth reflects a combination of local engagement and word-of-mouth promotion.

Hungree’s multilingual capability ensures inclusivity, even in regions with diverse linguistic needs.

“By March, there will be no language in the world where Hungree cannot be used,” says the app’s creator confidently.

More Than a Meal

The Hungree App addresses more than just food waste. Its impact spans multiple socio-economic factors – it reduces pollution, alleviates social isolation, and combats stigma around food insecurity.

By allowing anonymous sharing and targeted surplus distribution, the app bridges gaps for individuals who might avoid food banks due to social barriers.

In California, the app aligns with Senate Bill 1383, legislation mandating the redistribution or composting of surplus food. By offering a simple, affordable solution for restaurants, it could help businesses avoid hefty fines while contributing to a sustainable ecosystem.

Akinboyewa and the team of Hungree developers envision a world where anyone can access free meals – anywhere, anytime. Their commitment to affordability ensures the app will always remain free for basic use, with optional premium features for businesses.

What started as a simple idea has grown into a global movement. Whether redistributing surplus rice in Vietnam or saving burritos from the trash in Denver, the Hungree App empowers individuals to turn waste into sustenance, and isolation into connection.

A Call to Action

As the holiday season approaches, Akinboyewa urges communities to embrace Hungree.

“We love to see each and every person engaged with this free and easy-to-use platform. Together, we can change the world.”

For providers and hungries, downloading the Hungree App is the first step toward making this holiday season – and every season – a little brighter for everyone.

The Hungree App is available for download by individuals and organizations around the world, putting the cure for world hunger directly into humanity’s hands..

Editor’s note: To learn, visit www.thehungreeapp.com.