Mentored by StartUP FIU, a team of innovative engineering students developed an online marketplace for local farmers to connect with their customers.
Miami is known the world over for its diverse cuisine, much of it founded on tropical fruits and vegetables in addition to unique preparations that positively tantalize the tastebuds.
As the farm-to-table movement continues to grow, however, South Florida’s restaurateurs and wholesalers have increasingly come up against barriers to providing fresh, locally sourced ingredients to customers in their community.
The student entrepreneurs behind “Mango” believe they have found an ideal solution with their easy-to-use digital platform designed to streamline business processes and makes it easier for local farmers to connect with those looking for sustainably sourced produce.
“Our open online marketplace standardizes the way local farmers connect with vendors to ensure access to locally sourced ingredients becomes faster, more affordable and convenient than ever before,” said Olbin Gil, mechanical engineering junior at the College of Engineering and Computing and a member of the Mango team.
Olbin and fellow students Giuliana Mesa, Roberto Valdes and Juan Espitia started by exploring Miami’s restaurant and food service industry. They were fascinated to learn that although there is significant demand for more locally sourced, sustainable and organic food, it can be challenging for small farmers to successfully fill this need.
Read more at FIU News.