Organization: AfriStays (Capstone Simulation)

Role: Project Manager

Functional Area: Project Management Office (PMO) / SaaS Development

Organization Focus: Hospitality • Technology • Start-up Simulation

Approach / Methodology: Hybrid (Agile + Waterfall)

Project Team Size: 5

Duration: August 2024 – October 2024

1. Project Objective

Deliver a complete project charter and pilot launch plan for a SaaS-based hospitality platform (AfriStays App) designed to connect local hosts with travelers in Champaign, Illinois.

The goal was to plan and execute the pilot rollout using a full project management lifecycle, from initiation to closure, while applying Google PM best practices and PMI standards.

Business Need:

To simulate a real-world digital product launch and demonstrate structured project delivery, stakeholder management, and risk control within an academic lab environment.

2. Leadership and Responsibilities

As Project Manager, I As the Project Manager, I oversaw the entire project lifecycle, from concept validation to simulated execution tracking.

Key leadership contributions:

• Authored the Project Charter, Scope Statement, and Budget Plan aligned with stakeholder goals.
• Built a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) defining five key phases: Initiation, Planning, Development, Testing, and Launch.
• Designed a Gantt Schedule and Kanban Execution Board for task tracking in Asana and Smartsheet.