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TravelBuddy AI

"Travel that understands you."

Personal Project LLM / NLP Identity-Aware AI 2025

AI-powered identity-aware travel discovery that helps travelers find culturally relevant, faith-aware, and identity-specific services anywhere in the world. Independently conceived, researched, and prototyped — from problem discovery through MVP.

The Problem

Generic results don't serve everyone.

Through independent user research, I identified a clear market gap: platforms like Google Maps and Yelp return generic results with no understanding of identity-specific travel needs — culture, faith, language, grooming, or diaspora services.

🔍 Find a Black barber in Copenhagen
🔍 English-speaking Pentecostal church in Tokyo
🔍 Hijabi-friendly salon in Florence
🔍 African grocery store in Lisbon
The Solution

NLP AI that understands context.

TravelBuddy AI uses LLM-powered natural language search to interpret traveler identity context and return relevant, culturally-tagged recommendations. The AI parses location, service type, identity needs, cultural context, and language preferences.

MVP Features
Natural language search
AI query interpretation
Identity-aware tagging
Personalized results
AI explanations
Mobile-first interface
User Flow

Four steps to feeling seen.

1

User types a travel need in plain language

2

AI interprets location, identity and service context

3

System searches identity-tagged business dataset

4

User receives personalized, AI-explained recommendations

My Role

Full product ownership.

Personal project. Independently conducted user research, defined the product vision, led problem framing, persona development, feature prioritization, user flow design, and MVP scope. Built working prototype using AI-assisted development tools.

Technology Stack
React (Frontend) Python / FastAPI LLM Query Layer Identity-tagged Dataset Replit Prototype
Vision

"TravelBuddy AI aims to become the world's first identity-aware travel infrastructure, helping people feel seen, safe, and culturally connected anywhere in the world. In a world of increasing global mobility, identity should never be a barrier to belonging."

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