Introducing The Green Shift: Stories from the Frontlines of Sustainability
Welcome to The Green Shift: Stories from the Frontlines of Sustainability Movement, a new blog series by Repurpose that spotlights innovative sustainability champions, eco-entrepreneurs, and everyday eco-living enthusiasts making a real impact in their communities.
Together, we will explore how these change-makers (big and small) bring new ideas and actionable steps to combat climate change, reduce plastic waste, and build a more sustainable future.
Through their stories, we hope to inspire our communities further to join the green movement and prove that we can create lasting, positive environmental change, together.
Meet Aneshai Smith - Founder & CEO of GO See the City
This eco-innovator has created a solution to a problem we see every day: food waste.
In the U.S., food waste is a critical issue, with around 40% of our food being tossed every year. That's equivalent to about 108 billion pounds of food ending up in landfills while hunger persists in virtually every county across the United States. Tens of millions of Americans, including families and children, face food insecurity, yet we discard enough food each year to feed entire communities (
Feeding America).
Food waste also significantly contributes to climate change because it generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it decomposes in landfills. When food is wasted, not only do the resources used to produce it (such as water, energy, and land) go to waste, but the emissions from transportation and processing also contribute to environmental harm. In fact, according to the United Nations, if food waste were a country, it would be the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after the U.S. and China. Reducing food waste is an essential step in tackling climate change and preserving our planet’s resources ( UNEP).
GO See the City is a mobile app designed to help restaurants minimize food waste by distributing same-day coupons to nearby users. The app provides a win-win situation where users save money, explore their city, and support participating restaurants. Aneshai has also expanded this initiative to address the significant food waste generated at venues and stadiums, taking the impact of GO See the City even further.
We had the opportunity to speak with Aneshai to learn more about this brilliant Smart City initiative. Let’s dive into the story behind Aneshai’s game-changing platform and how it’s making a difference.
Q: How did you identify the problem of food waste in restaurants and stadiums as an area you wanted to address?
A: We saw firsthand how much food goes to waste in all kinds of operations, but it’s especially noticeable in large-scale venues like stadiums. These places generate tons of surplus food during events, and it’s a missed opportunity when that food ends up in landfills instead of helping those in need. It was clear this was a problem worth tackling.
Q: How does GO See The City work from a user’s perspective? What are the key features of the app that help reduce food waste?
A: From a stadium or venue’s point of view, GO See The City makes managing surplus food simple. Our platform, called HarietAI, is inspired by the legacy of Harriet Tubman, guiding unused food and crops to those who need them—just as she led Americans to freedom. HarietAI connects farms, stadiums, festivals, and other venues with nonprofits and customers, ensuring surplus food is put to good use rather than going to waste. The platform allows food suppliers to easily redistribute their unused produce, creating an efficient pathway to help communities fight food insecurity and cut food costs. Key features include real-time data analytics that track how many pounds of food are rescued, which nonprofits are supported, water conserved, and more. It’s user-friendly, making it easy for stadiums, festivals, and restaurants to share their impact and showcase how their donations benefit the community.
Q: How do you establish partnerships with restaurants and what criteria do you use to select these restaurants?
A: We establish partnerships by focusing on venues that are committed to sustainability and have the capacity to produce significant amounts of surplus food. We look for partners who are proactive in reducing waste, have reliable food safety protocols, and are willing to collaborate on innovative solutions to maximize impact.
Q: What is your ultimate vision for the impact of GO See The City in the food industry and what impact has it made so far?
A: Our ultimate vision is to be the go-to platform for surplus food redirection and in major venues and for festivals but we also want to make a huge impact in regards to food insecurity. Our goal is to transform how food waste is handled across the industry. So far, we've partnered with multiple stadiums, rescuing thousands of pounds of food and providing tens of thousands of meals to those in need, significantly reducing the environmental footprint of these venues.
Q: How do you see GO See the City evolving over the next 5 years? Do you have plans for key expansions, app integrations, brand partners, etc.?
A: Over the next five years, we plan to expand our platform to more major venues and stadiums nationwide. We aim to integrate more advanced features AI features, while also continuing to form strategic partnerships with brands that share our sustainability goals.
Q: What inspired and motivated you to be involved in the sustainability space?
A: My passion for sustainability was driven by the urgent need to address environmental issues like food waste. Witnessing the vast amounts of food discarded by large venues and the simultaneous hunger crisis inspired me to create a solution that could bridge this gap and make a real impact.
Q: How can organizations and restaurants best prepare to integrate sustainability into their core operations and culture?
A: Organizations can start by setting clear sustainability goals, create an action plan to achieve them, and integrate technologies like GO See The City, which helps locations quickly scale their efforts.
Q: What other ways do you see sustainability integrating into the restaurant, entertainment, and hospitality industries in the next 5 years?
A: In the next five years, I foresee a greater emphasis on circular economy principles, with more venues adopting zero-waste initiatives. Sustainability will become a core part of doing business, especially as many states and cities rush to meet the USDA and EPA initiative to reduce food waste and loss by 2030. In many states, there are already mandates requiring businesses to donate surplus food, and this will inevitably expand.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Aneshai and her team for significantly impacting the sustainability space and sharing their journey with us. We encourage you to support by downloading the
GO See the City app and following them on Instagram (
@goseethecity) to stay connected!
Stay tuned for more inspiring stories and innovative ideas from people working in and around sustainability. Together, we’re lighting the path to a greener and brighter future! 🌱
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