Featured Projects

The Challenge

With over nine and a half years of restaurant industry experience, I intimately understood the challenges faced by staff in high-paced dining environments. While bartending at a farm-to-table restaurant, I observed recurring issues: seasonal menu changes every three months made memorization difficult, staff struggled with accommodating unusual allergies, and the busy environment made it challenging to get quick answers from chefs or managers about menu details.

The Solution

Inspired by a conversation with a friend about LLMs in security threat analysis, I envisioned an AI-powered solution to revolutionize restaurant operations. What began as a simple chat interface experiment evolved into a sophisticated system that transformed how staff accessed and utilized menu information.

The development journey started with manual JSON structuring of menu data, which I later automated through fine-tuned prompting. We progressed from basic chat interfaces to API integrations, initially using Apple Shortcuts for OpenAI's Whisper model implementation.

Technical Evolution

The system underwent several iterations of improvement:

• Implemented few-shot prompting and model fine-tuning for enhanced accuracy
• Developed a sophisticated data bucketing system that improved response speed by directing queries to specific data segments
• Created a web interface with IP-based access control for cost management
• Integrated WhatsApp functionality for easy staff access and user management

The final system excelled in three key areas:

• Comprehensive allergy analysis with detailed substitution recommendations
• Sales-optimized menu descriptions and pairing suggestions
• Instant access to detailed menu information via WhatsApp

Impact

The project exceeded expectations, successfully deploying across five restaurant locations. The system became indispensable to staff operations, with usage rates so high we needed to increase our token allocation. Beyond the immediate operational benefits, this project provided invaluable insights into data structuring, API integration, and practical AI implementation in a business setting.

The Challenge

Sony Music executives identified a crucial gap in their marketing strategy: while demographic data was readily available, they needed deeper insights into Gen Z's music consumption behaviors and preferences. The challenge was to move beyond basic metrics and develop a comprehensive understanding that could drive more effective marketing decisions.

Strategic Approach

Taking the initiative to address this executive-level concern, I spearheaded a large-scale data collection project leveraging Sony Music University College Collective. As a former member of this network, I recognized its potential to gather meaningful insights from our target demographic.

I assembled a team of five student leaders who helped coordinate with 48 Sony college representatives across 31 markets nationwide, spanning from Berkeley to USC. We carefully designed a survey that would capture behavioral patterns while maintaining engagement and providing value to participants.

Implementation

Our data collection strategy was comprehensive and strategic:

• Utilized high-traffic events like football games for survey distribution
• Integrated with existing Sony events to maximize reach
• Implemented QR codes for easy access
• Focused on emotional connections to music consumption
• Explored music discovery and sharing patterns

Key Findings & Impact

The initiative exceeded our target of 10,000 responses, collecting over 12,000 valuable data points. One of the most fascinating discoveries was about vinyl ownership - we found an almost even split between Gen Z individuals who owned vinyl records with playback capability and those who collected vinyl purely as identity expressions.

I presented these findings to Sony executives, including the Senior Vice President of Commercial Partnerships, demonstrating how Gen Z views music as an extension of their identity. This insight has significantly influenced Sony's marketing strategies, particularly in guerrilla marketing approaches targeting Gen Z audiences.

The Challenge

As one of their early sponsored content creators, I had developed a strong relationship with Ridge Wallet. They noticed how I strategically modified content across different platforms and reached out to understand my approach to cross-platform optimization while maintaining brand consistency.

Strategic Approach

I conducted a comprehensive audit of their social media presence, creating an extensive CSV database tracking every piece of content they had published, along with performance metrics and analytical insights. This data-driven approach allowed me to identify patterns and opportunities for optimization.

I developed a system that balanced platform-specific optimization with brand consistency, focusing on creating episodic content that could be effectively adapted across platforms while maintaining its core message.

Technical Solutions

The strategy included several innovative approaches:

• Created a workflow utilizing CapCut, Final Cut Pro, and Premiere Pro for optimal content adaptation
• Implemented a copyright-compliant music strategy using trending sounds at 1% volume
• Developed platform-specific optimization techniques to avoid algorithm penalties
• Established a 3-5 video format system for consistent, replicable content creation

Impact & Learning

This project marked my transition from personal brand management to corporate strategy. It highlighted my ability to break down complex algorithmic concepts into understandable, actionable steps. The experience taught me valuable lessons about teaching and communicating technical concepts, skills that would prove invaluable in future projects.

The comprehensive strategy document I created continues to serve as a reference for Ridge Wallet's content creation process, demonstrating the long-term value of systematic, data-driven approaches to social media management.