Hebert said the navigation app helps parents find food locations faster. She said the idea came as a result of her being hangry on the road one too many times.  

(KLFY)-- It's a win-win situation; two UL Lafayette students get an experience to kick off their career before graduation, and one local mother is helping to ease frustrations for parents on the go. 

A locally-founded navigation app called Dryve helps parents find food fast on a particular route. Two UL Lafayette computer science students are responsible for parts of its development.

A new navigation app for parents on go has been in the works for the last two years. 

“There is really no other app that simplified the process like drive,” Kelly Hebert, the founder of Dryve, said.  

Hebert said the navigation app helps parents find food locations faster. She said the idea came as a result of her being hangry on the road one too many times.  

"We have created it to where with one touch gestures you can find food immediately on the route and be routed there," Hebert said.

The concept was solid, but the execution fell short. In need of guidance, she turned to the Opportunity Machine in Downtown Lafayette.

The resource supports early stage technology, research driven and innovative startups.

“How to get the idea out of your head so that you can determine whether or not there is a need before you actually build it," Destin Ortego, executive director of the Opportunity Machine, said.

Her connection to the Opportunity Machine also connected her to more help.

A partnership between the Opportunity Machine and the Informatics Research Institute at UL Lafayette allowed two computer science seniors to help develop the app as part of a school project. 

Mark Coniglia a senior at the time who has now graduated said the collaboration gave him real world experience.

Devin Barras, currently a student, feels the collaboration opened doors for future employment.

“Being able to work in a professional environment without being under a lot of pressure was what I enjoyed most about it," Coniglia said.

"We worked with the Opportunity Machine and Project Drive. We made a lot of connections. I have people calling me saying 'Hey, if you are looking for a job they are looking'," Barras said.

Professor Henry Chu and a fellow professor recommended the program to both students.

"They were able to translate what they learned in classrooms to help develop the app," Chu said.

Chris Kimmel, chief innovation officer with Informatic Research Institute, said after completing the project the students received a final grades based on the quality of their work.

The outcome encouraged the institute to develop more collaborations for students to gain real world experience. 

"They were our pilot, and it was successful we are looking to continue that as we go forward with future semesters," Kimmel said.

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