Khadijah (Rana) S.

Building systems that solve real problems for real people, from small business owners with no digital access to international job seekers navigating the Dutch market. Selected projects: - IND Sponsors (indsponsors.nl) Identified a gap in how internationals find visa-sponsoring employers in the Netherlands. Built and launched a full platform from scratch: searchable directory of 12,000+ IND-authorised companies, visa eligibility check, job listings, events, and resource hubs for both job seekers and employers. Includes a sponsorship cost calculator that gives hiring managers exact salary thresholds, permit costs, and timelines. In four weeks it grew from a searchable directory to a platform with a jobs board, events calendar, and resources serving 3.1k+ users across 12 countries. - Digital transformation (Hospitality, Bali) Worked with a business owner with no digital literacy or computer access. Built their web presence, designed operational systems, and taught AI-powered marketing tools. Business scaled from one person to a 6-person team with 2 vehicles. - Operations automation (Student exchange program, USA) Redesigned data management workflow for a coordinator handling student and host family placements to remove manual busyworks. Built a centralized system and no-code app, cutting processing time from days to minutes.

As a community guide for Make it in the North, an English-language platform supporting international job seekers across Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, I help people navigate their job search. I moderate an online community of 200+ members and organise on-site events including community meetups, LinkedIn workshops, and AMA sessions.

Hospitality group with 15+ venues across Australia. Built data systems and dashboards to support business operations and multi-venue growth. Worked directly with cross-functional teams to ensure tools met real business needs and were actually adopted. - Designed and implemented dashboards unifying POS and operational data across venues, reducing reporting time from 7 days to real-time - Collaborated with finance, sales, and operations stakeholders to configure systems that improved efficiency and decision-making speed - Created scalable reporting infrastructure that supported expansion to 7 new locations and 25% market reach growth Bridged the gap between technical capabilities and business requirements, focusing on practical adoption rather than technical complexity.

Multi-sector company spanning investment, export-import, marketing, and educational programs. Worked in a startup environment where "data analyst" meant identifying operational problems and building solutions across diverse business areas. - Optimized KPI workflows and reporting processes that were consuming 10+ hours weekly. Rebuilt systems from scratch to give teams faster access to metrics that actually drove product and pricing decisions. - Partnered with sales and marketing teams to analyze customer data and uncover revenue opportunities. Identified pricing and promotion strategies that boosted revenue by 8% and improved profit margins through data-informed recommendations translated into action. - Built forecasting models for procurement strategy using historical data, Excel, SQL, and Python. Reduced processing time by 85% and enabled more strategic, data-driven planning. - Identified and resolved operational bottlenecks costing 15+ hours weekly in delays. Solutions ranged from technical (improved data models, dashboards) to operational (process redesign), always focused on making work flow better. Additional work: - Supported Startup Accelerator Program, helping entrepreneurs develop viable businesses through workshops, mentorship, and educational events - Participated in panel discussion alongside Nobel Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus on social entrepreneurship and youth empowerment, representing GBL Co., Ltd. (Elementary subsidiary)

B2B SaaS and AI consultancy serving enterprise clients. At 23, I was the youngest person in the company by over a decade. Hired to support an international expansion that got shelved when COVID hit, the company pivoted my role. I trained myself as a data analyst and consultant, shadowing senior managers and finding ways to add value. - Streamlined a university client's admissions workflow by analyzing their process, identifying inefficiencies, and implementing a CRM solution that cut processing time by 20 hours weekly. The real work wasn't the technology itself, it was understanding how they actually operated and designing a system around their needs. - Bridged communication between Japanese tech teams and international clients, translating technical requirements into business language and vice versa. This improved project delivery speed by 50% because teams finally understood each other. - Designed and delivered bilingual training sessions (English/Japanese) on Tableau, Power BI, and Salesforce for 100+ international clients. Focused on practical application, not just tool features, ensuring people could use what they learned after the session ended. - Built dashboards and managed client data using Tableau, Power BI, Qlik, SQL, Excel, and Python. Standardized data processes to improve decision-making quality for various business purposes. Also conducted sentiment analysis on public perception of Japan's Go-To Travel campaign during COVID, publishing findings in both English and Japanese. Learned I enjoy turning messy data into clear stories.

Ritsumeikan APU's largest and most active academic organization, focused on mentorship, professional development, and business education for students. Along with the other members of the Board of Directors, I provided mentorships, guidance, seminars, and study sessions for Ritsumeikan APU students.

Spearheading Ritsumeikan APU's largest and most active academic circle. Managing and coordinating 12-16 events annually such as seminars, camps, competitions, and gala dinners throughout the years.

Managing and coordinating 12-16 events annually such as seminars, camps, competitions, and gala dinners throughout the years.

Japan's largest and only international business case competition, attracting students from 12 of the world's top business schools over six intensive days. - Led financial management and reporting for the event (13M JPY budget) - Secured sponsorships and cultivated partnerships to fund the competition - Coordinated across all departments, university faculty, sponsors, and 100+ student organizers to ensure seamless execution - Developed comprehensive plans for pre and post-event activities - Facilitated communication between diverse stakeholders (faculty, corporate sponsors, international student teams) to maintain alignment and cohesion This taught me how to manage complexity, juggle competing priorities, and keep multiple moving pieces aligned. Skills I use constantly in my work today.

Led collaboration between Fundokin (a 100+ year-old soy sauce company) and Inspire (a VC firm) to develop and launch a Halal-certified Honey Soy Sauce for Japanese and Malaysian markets. - Conducted market research to assess demand for Halal products in both markets, analyzing consumer preferences, market trends, and competitor landscape to determine product viability - Led product development working with both companies to create a Halal Honey Soy Sauce that met certification requirements while maintaining authentic taste and quality for Japanese and Malaysian consumers - Designed and executed go-to-market strategy including events, promotional materials, and multi-channel marketing to introduce the product in both countries - Coordinated across three organizations (Ritsumeikan APU, Fundokin, Inspire) to align on product development, marketing, and launch efforts The product launched successfully and even made it into the hands of Japan's late Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. More importantly, I learned how to take an idea from concept to launch: research, iteration, stakeholder coordination, storytelling, and execution.