NY Tech Meetup brought together a large community of developers to build solutions for Hurricane Sandy victims, resulting in the development of volunteer management apps that streamline communication among groups and coordinate efforts for disaster relief. In contrast, HackMeat challenged attendees to improve the environmental and financial ecosystem between meat distributors, butchers, farmers, and consumers, leading to innovative solutions such as a smart scale that helps processors gather data on meat cuts and a Foursquare app that allows shoppers to request specific cuts of meat in their grocery stores.