Idea for combating hunger attracts international interest

An entrepreneurial endeavor to help alleviate hunger being developed by a group of recent Arizona State University engineering and business graduates, and one undergraduate student, is gaining international attention.

The team called FlashFood won the U.S. Microsoft Imagine Cup U.S. Finals competition earlier this year, earning the group a trip to Australia in July for the premiere international student technology competition, the Microsoft Imagine Cup World Finals.

FlashFood is developing a mobile-phone application as a tool for establishing local networks to connect restaurants, hotels and catering and banquet services with people who would collect leftover food and transport it to community centers and neighborhood gatherings places for distribution to people in need.

The app would be used to send messages to subscribers to FlashFood services in local communities to inform them when and where fresh food will be delivered.

The idea drew attention from news media reporting on the Imagine Cup finals. One result was an interview of the FlashFood team leader on a national radio program.