When Suman Roy arrived in Canada with just $42 in his pocket, he learned a crucial lesson that would shape his entire approach to solving social problems: "There are rarely chairs available for you around the table. So you need to carry your own chair."
This philosophy of creating your own opportunities, rather than waiting for an invitation, has driven Roy to build one of Toronto's most innovative approaches to food insecurity. As founder of the Zero Hunger Project and Feed Scarborough, he's proving that the most powerful solutions often come from thinking completely differently about the problem itself.
When Two Weeks Becomes a Movement
Feed Scarborough started in Roy's backyard during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan was simple: help neighbors for two weeks until things got back to normal. Those became, in Roy's words, "the longest 14 days ever." What began as a temporary response to a crisis, evolved into a sophisticated organization that's fundamentally rethinking how we address hunger.
But where Roy's approach gets interesting is that he realized that in countries like Canada, the U.S., and Western Europe, food insecurity isn't actually a food problem.
"Food insecurity is not a food problem. Right. It is an income problem."
This insight led to a complete strategic shift. Instead of simply distributing food, Zero Hunger Project developed a three-pronged approach: emergency food assistance, policy advocacy, and long-term impact programs focused on employment and entrepreneurship. They're working to address the root cause.
The Power of Being "Hangry"
Another surprising innovation came through an unlikely partnership with the Toronto Police Service. Roy and his team noticed something that seems obvious in hindsight but was revolutionary in practice: a lot of conflicts and arrests happen when people are "hangry."
"We know that a lot of arrests happen when people are hangry. That is a real thing... So we work with the police so every cruiser in our community has a bag of ready-to-eat food... And then officers can say, ‘Let's eat something, and then let's talk.’"
Now, police cruisers in the community carry ready-to-eat food bags. Instead of confrontation, interactions start with “breaking bread” together. It's a simple intervention that can change the entire dynamic, building trust and de-escalating tension before it can spiral.
Turning Empty Space Into Opportunity
When faced with the challenge of expensive rent for food distribution centers, Roy didn't accept it as an insurmountable obstacle. Instead, he approached developers with an innovative proposition: let his organization use temporarily idle construction and development spaces at no cost.
The result? Zero Hunger Project rapidly expanded to six locations with zero rent expense. It's the kind of creative problem-solving that only happens when you're willing to "bring your own chair" and ask unconventional questions.
The organization continues to innovate with programs like mobile food trucks for better community access and the "RX Eats" ambulance, a powerful statement that food is medicine. This specialized vehicle distributes dietary-restricted meals (like diabetic-friendly options) directly to vulnerable populations, addressing the intersection of food insecurity and health.
From Scarborough to the World
Roy's local success has evolved into something much bigger. The newly formed Zero Hunger Coalition now connects grassroots NGOs across 35+ countries. The mission is to empower these organizations through knowledge sharing and amplify their voices on global platforms like the UN's High Level Political Forum and the World Social Development Summit.
This local-to-global trajectory perfectly illustrates a principle that HeroX has seen time and again: the best solutions to massive global challenges often come from people closest to the problem. Take the Edmonton Police Foundation's challenge on catalytic converter theft; it was solved not by experts, but by a local mother-daughter duo who understood their community. When you open problems to the crowd, you invite exactly the kind of unconventional thinking that Suman Roy embodies.
Think Outside the Box
Roy's final advice to aspiring innovators is beautifully simple: think outside the box and be creative. Innovation is about finding solutions where others aren't looking.
"I always say innovation is not always what you build or what you create because you're innovating all the time as you're building yourself up or your life up..."
Sometimes the most innovative thing you can do is bring your own chair.
Ready to harness the power of a global crowd to solve your community's most persistent problems? Watch the full conversation with Suman Roy on the HeroX Speaker Series to learn more about his journey from a backyard food drive to a global coalition—and discover how crowdsourcing can drive innovative solutions in your own community.
