Denver, CO
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 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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Denver, CO
Rep. Hurd emphasizes need for consistent, predictable energy policies at Denver roundtable
The Denver Broncos made a significant upgrade to their wide receiver corps this offseason trading for Jaylen Waddle. That gives them a solid group of five with Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims Jr., Troy Franklin, and Pat Byrant all in the mix. The hope is the corps can contribute at a high level for the upcoming 2026 season and help take Denver’s offense to the next level.
The Broncos didn’t draft a wide receiver this past April but signed a handful of undrafted free agents to compete for a spot. Additionally, they signed veteran wide receiver Mike Woods after he impressed at the team’s rookie minicamp several weeks ago.
Woods split time between Arkansas and Oklahoma during his collegiate career. He performed well during the pre-draft circuit and had a very good performance at the NFL Combine and was subsequently selected by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. However, since being drafted, he has made a minimal impact in the NFL with just 12 career receptions and 110 receiving yards.
Age: 26 | Experience: Fifth Year | College: Arkansas & Oklahoma | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 204 pounds
Arm Length: 33” | Hand Size: 9-3/8” | Broad Jump: 10’-5” | Vertical: 35-1/2”
40-Yard Dash: 4.37 seconds | 3-Cone: 7.07 seconds | 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.46 seconds
Mike Woods’ 2026 outlook with the Broncos
The Broncos have opted to carry five receivers on the final roster for most of Head Coach Sean Payton’s time leading the charge. It’s unlikely Woods will be able to unseat any of the five aforementioned receivers. Those spots are set in stone barring some unforeseen circumstance.
At best, it seems like he could be a fit on the team’s practice squad. His physical attributes and athletic testing scores are quite impressive outside of his agility drills. Perhaps he could be a potential game day elevation like we have seen from Lil’ Jordan Humphrey over the past few seasons.
However, he has had multiple significant injuries during his pro career and has been suspended in the past for off the field issues. With that in mind, it’s hard to see him being a contributor for the team this season to any significant degree.
Chalk it up as extremely doubtful that Woods ends up making the final roster. There is a chance he could make the team’s practice squad. But even with that, he faces an uphill battle. The team already has several other receivers in the fold who already have an extensive knowledge of Payton’s offense.
DENVER – Some of the most important documents in American history have arrived in Denver.
The Freedom Plane landed at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, carrying nine historic documents pulled directly from the National Archives for a rare traveling exhibit that will make eight stops across the country.
“This is a once-in-a-generation experience,” said National Archives Foundation CEO Patrick Madden. “For us at the National Archives, it is about the original records and saying, ‘How do you take this and make this a human experience, and know it was all people who were coming together around a common idea that has become our nation today?’”
The exhibit includes a William J. Stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence, a draft of the Constitution, a draft of the Bill of Rights, and the Oaths of Allegiance signed by George Washington, Aaron Burr, and Alexander Hamilton – documents that have never traveled outside of Washington, D.C. before this tour.
“What could be more important than these foundational documents that formed our nation?” said History Colorado President and CEO Dawn DiPrince. “To be invited to host these feels like one of the greatest honors that we could ever hope for in our work.”
Denver7’s Jim Waltz
Before the documents are ready for the public, History Colorado staff face a significant behind-the-scenes challenge to prepare the museum.
“I think a lot of people don’t realize what goes on behind the scenes in the museum,” said Exhibits and Loan Registrar Samantha Stamps-Ten Hoeve. “It’s kind of like an extreme version of Tetris, where there’s so many things going on.”
The preparation includes organizing security, calibrating lighting, and addressing a challenge unique to Colorado’s climate.
►Watch Ethan Carlson’s report in the player below:
Freedom Plane arrives in Denver with rare founding documents from National Archives
“We did make a plan: in our case, silica gel, because that’s very useful to help raise humidity,” Stamps-Ten Hoeve said.
The exhibit opens Thursday, May 28, and will only be on display for 17 days before moving on to Miami. Admission is free to the public, but tickets must be reserved in advance at HistoryColorado.org.
“To do this on behalf of Coloradans and the Rocky Mountain West is pretty incredible,” DiPrince said.
Madden said the goal of the exhibit goes beyond a history lesson.
“We’re hoping they take a little bit of civic spark from it and say, ‘What is my role in my democracy today, and how do we shape it for the future?” Madden said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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