Dibbs founder Kathleen Hu on decreasing food waste

Illinois Innovators

It is estimated that about 30 percent of consumable food products are wasted, but that number is much higher in the United States. Conversely about 13 percent of Americans are food insecure. Kathleen Hu, a senior in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois, is providing a solution through a startup called Dibbs, a technology platform and organization to connect excess food at grocery stores to local food pantries. They’re on a mission to reduce food waste while fighting hunger. For her efforts, Kathleen claimed the $20,000 Illinois Innovation prize, while Dibbs was a finalist on the Cozad New Venture Competition.