Update: Joined Genji as a Full-time Intern!

I’m pleased to announce that the part-time internship I began with Genji in November has turned into a full-time internship! As of January 2015, I have been working full-time as a Project Management Intern in Genji’s IT and Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO). I will continue on in this capacity until the internship completes on April 30th, 2015.

Genji LLC is a subsidiary of Peace Dining Corporation (PDC). We are a Japanese and Japanese-inspired cuisine restaurant firm, with over 180 locations in the US and UK. Have you been to Whole Foods Market? Seen the sushi kiosks in the Prepared Foods section? That’s us! In addition to the sushi kiosks in Whole Foods and other supermarket locations around the country, we’ve recently launched two new concept stores: Mai Cuisine, an Asian rice-bowl style restaurant, and Hai Street Kitchen, a concept centered around the “Japanese Burrito” (think tasty strips of chicken, pork, or fried shrimp with fresh vegetables, wrapped in a large piece of sushi nori). We’ve opened two Hai Street locations in Philadelphia, with more possibly coming soon.

I’m interning in the corporate offices in downtown Philadelphia. I report directly to the IT/EPMO Director, who is also a Temple alumnus. As Project Management Intern, I support the successful implementation of the many projects we have currently underway. So far, I’ve done the following:

• Created and maintained project documents, including project schedules, risk registers, project charters, stakeholder matrices, and more for projects including business IT system upgrades and new restaurant openings.
• Met with project stakeholders to analyze business processes, and documented those processes as workflows for HR and Warehouse Management Systems upgrades.
• Managed a project to implement a Kanban-based, just-in-time procurement system for office supplies.
• Prepared and presented slide deck presentation of lessons learned to firm Executives and Directors following the closing phase of a new restaurant opening.

It’s been an excellent learning opportunity to intern at Genji. I’m especially thankful for the chance to apply the skills and concepts I learned last semester in Professor Bruce Hohne’s MIS 3535 course. Being able to use what I’ve learned in the classroom every day on the job has greatly enriched my understanding of Project Management in the IT context. This has been a wonderful opportunity for me. I’m excited to see what the remainder will bring!