Denver, CO

A Denver entrepreneur’s new app connects neighbors with extra food to people in need

Published

1 year ago

July 23, 2024

A Denver entrepreneur’s new app connects neighbors with extra food to people in need

When John Akinboyewa studied at the Colorado School of Mines for his engineering degrees, he recalled digging in the couch for change to afford a 99-cent meal at Taco Bell or McDonald’s — coming to $1.08 with tax.

“I remember that number so vividly,” he said. His very next thought: “There is pizza or a sandwich or cookies somewhere on this campus that is fastly approaching the trash can.”

That college experience sparked the idea for a new app called Hungree. And in the last year, Akinboyewa, a 39-year-old Denver resident, and his three team members have brought his vision to life.

The logo used for the Hungree app, which has launched in Denver to curb food insecurity and prevent waste. (Image courtesy of Hungree app)

The free app follows a basic premise: A user in a small geographic area who wants to get rid of a food item can post it for another user to request and then pick up. Restaurants, food banks and other sizable providers can connect with individuals, and neighbors can link with neighbors.

Users can share either with the public or solely within their own “villages,” which are limited to specific groups like religious organizations or homeowners associations.

The app can be used to arrange very small-scale and extremely large-scale food distribution, Akinboyewa added. If an office staffer has 25 leftover sandwiches after an event, then that user can post the food items in their village and alert others to the surplus.

But to work effectively, the app needs a balance of both providers and users.

He’s developed the app to protect user privacy, keep track of food donations, avoid lines at food pickups and more. In its beta phase, the app granted access to 500 invite-only users across six cities in four countries — the U.S., Nigeria, Colombia and the United Kingdom — before expanding to nearly 1,000 users, Akinboyewa said.

Soon, his team plans to permit tens of thousands of users through several university, community and business partnerships, he said.

The app is available now on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, using an invite code: HUNGREE500.

For Akinboyewa, who was born in Nigeria and resided in London before immigrating to the U.S., the Hungree app is a way to fight hunger and curb food waste. In the places he’s lived, he’s seen the struggle of food insecurity.

Now, he’s watching his strategy work in real time. A local steakhouse manager listed leftover meals on the app — three servings of steak and vegetables — and another user picked them up to hand out to people experiencing homelessness, Akinboyewa said.

“I love solving problems,” said Akinboyewa, who has a background as a consultant in the oil and gas industry. “Sometimes, the simple solution is actually what works.”

To take his app to the next level, Akinboyewa hopes to garner institutional and organizational support. He’s discussed the idea with leaders at the University of Colorado Boulder who are in charge of off-campus housing, which could result in thousands of students accessing the app.

Akinboyewa wants to connect with local businesses and feature them on the app, too. He’s looking for financial backing that lets him roll it out on a larger scale.

Hungree’s nonprofit status was approved by the state on Monday. But the organization’s technology branch is for-profit, with plans to make money through investors and a business model that will eventually let users pay for enhanced features, Akinboyewa said.

“I’ll be sincere about something: Being Black in tech, you’re not connected to the right communities to help get the funding,” he said.

Still, he’s seeing progress globally. And in the next few weeks, a major update will bring multilingual support to the app, expanding beyond English to add Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and Turkish.

Akinboyewa’s hope: “In five to seven years, we want half a billion people on there,” he said. “There are big dreams to this.”

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Originally Published: July 23, 2024 at 6:00 a.m.

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Denver, CO

Rodney Rogers, the ‘Durham Bull’ who was drafted by the Denver Nuggets, dies at 54

Published

2 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Rodney Rogers, the ‘Durham Bull’ who was drafted by the Denver Nuggets, dies at 54

By AARON BEARD

Former Wake Forest star and 12-year NBA player Rodney Rogers has died. He was 54.

The school announced Saturday that Rogers had died on Friday. Rogers — the No. 9 overall NBA draft pick in 1993 — had been paralyzed from the shoulders down since a dirt bike accident in November 2008. Rogers died of natural causes linked to his spinal cord injury, according to a statement from the National Basketball Players Association on behalf of Rogers’ family.

“The last 17 years have been both challenging and profoundly blessed,” the NBPA statement said. “Through every moment, Rodney remained a light — positive, motivated, and full of the quiet strength that inspired everyone around him.”

Rogers was the Atlantic Coast Conference rookie of the year in 1991 and player of the year in 1993 whose No. 54 jersey was retired by the Demon Deacons. The burly 6-foot-7 forward with powerful athleticism earned the “Durham Bull” nickname during his prep career, then went on to score nearly 9,500 points in the NBA while being named league sixth man of the year in 2000.

Rogers’ injury led to the establishment of a foundation bearing his name, with Rogers encouraging people with spinal cord injuries while promoting resilience and personal growth in the face of those challenges. The school honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022 along with an honorary degree.

“Rodney is the strongest person I have ever met — physically and mentally — and his resilience was evident in the fight he showed every single day,” program great and former teammate Randolph Childress said in a statement released by the school. “I’ve said this before and I still mean it today: he was the best athlete ever to walk onto Wake Forest’s campus. He meant so much to so many people, and I feel profoundly blessed to have been with him yesterday.”

Rogers played three years at Wake Forest, averaging 21.2 points in the 1992-93 season that saw Wake Forest reach the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, before entering the NBA draft as a junior. He started his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets and went on to play with the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets and Philadelphia 76ers.

“It’s easy to focus on his extraordinary talent, but what stood out to everyone who knew him was that he was every bit as remarkable as a human being,” said Dave Odom, Rogers’ coach at Wake Forest. “He loved his teammates, he loved his family, he loved Wake Forest and he loved the game of basketball. He loved playing for Wake Forest.

“Every time we visited him, I walked away reminding myself never to complain — because he never did. He faced life exactly as it came and made the very best of every moment. He was a joy to watch as a basketball player, but he was an even greater man. He shared his strength, his spirit and his life with everyone around him.”

According to the NBPA statement, Rogers is survived by wife, Faye; daughters Roddreka and Rydiah; sons Rodney II and Devonte; his mother, Estelle Spencer; and Eric Hipilito, embraced as a son by Rogers.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

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Denver, CO

Zane Nelson scores 22 off bench as Denver defeats Colorado State 83-81

Published

20 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Zane Nelson scores 22 off bench as Denver defeats Colorado State 83-81

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — Zane Nelson’s 22 points off the bench helped Denver hold off Colorado State 83-81 on Friday night.

Nelson shot 6 of 10 from the field, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range, and went 7 for 8 from the foul line for the Pioneers (2-3). Carson Johnson scored 18 points while shooting 6 for 11 (3 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Julius Rollins had 16 points.

The Rams (4-1) were led by Kyle Jorgensen, who posted 29 points and six rebounds. Carey Booth added 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks, while Brandon Rechsteiner finished with 11 points.

Denver went into the half leading Colorado State 41-33. Nelson scored 14 points in the half. Denver pulled off the victory after a 7-0 second-half run erased a three-point deficit and gave them the lead at 58-54 with 10:19 left in the half. Logan Kinsey scored nine second-half points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Denver, CO

Denver ties mark Friday for second-latest date for a first snowfall

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Denver ties mark Friday for second-latest date for a first snowfall

Metro Denver residents in some areas woke up to wet sidewalks, marking the first measurable moisture the area has received in 24 days. But outside of the foothills, snow still hasn’t arrived, tying 1934 for the second-latest first snowfall on record.

There was fog and a light mist at Denver International Airport, with the temperature at around 40 degrees, as of 6 a.m. There is a 50% chance of light showers in the area through around 10 a.m. before things dry up again. The skies should turn partly cloudy with a high of 49 degrees and a slight wind from the north at 3 to 5 miles per hour, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service in Boulder.

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