Every Upohar event that a client experiences — the food, the setup, the atmosphere — is the visible tip of a much larger process. Behind each celebration is a web of vendor coordination, inventory planning, client communication, and storytelling that makes the mission of Upohar World Kitchen possible.
This summer, we had the chance to see that process through fresh eyes. Mudassir Haroon, our Operations Coordinator intern, and Skylar Holmes, our Marketing intern, spent the season working on opposite ends of the same mission: Mudassir behind the scenes, building the systems that keep events running smoothly, and Skylar out front, shaping how Upohar’s story reaches the people who matter most: our clients.
Here’s a glimpse of their work experience and what they learned.
For Mudassir, the appeal was the chance to apply an academic foundation to real business problems. As a college student studying Economics and Data Science, he was looking for a role where research and analytical skills could translate into visible, day-to-day impact. The Operations Coordinator position stood out because it covered a wide range of tasks, from supporting event logistics to maintaining records. “Rather than focusing on only one area,” Mudassir explained, “it seemed like an opportunity to understand how different parts of a business work together and to contribute in a meaningful, hands-on way.”
Skylar’s draw to Upohar came from a different angle. She saw an opportunity to grow the brand’s presence and, in turn, its client base. She noticed there was room to share more of Upohar’s story across social platforms, and found a partner in that vision in Sri who was open to new ideas and approaches. What stood out most to Skylar was Sri’s genuine investment in her client relationships, and Skylar wanted to help bring more of those relationships to life for a wider audience.
Two very different motivations — one rooted in systems and structure, the other in storytelling and connection — but both aimed at the same goal: making Upohar run better and reach further.
The Experience: Systems on One Side, Stories on the Other
Mudassir’s summer was defined by variety and detail. His projects spanned inventory management, vendor research, menu pricing, and event preparation. He built a monthly supply-ordering checklist that tracks inventory across locations, making it easier to know what needs restocking and when. From there, he developed regional vendor databases, organizing food vendors by cuisine, location, contact information, and availability.
He also handled the administrative backbone of every event during his internship: creating client folders, uploading agreements and rental quotes, preparing event checklists, assigning tasks, and keeping everything linked to the calendar.
“What surprised me most was the amount of detailed preparation required behind the scenes for each event,” Mudassir said. “From a client’s perspective, an event may appear straightforward, but there are so many interconnected steps involving vendors, inventory, pricing, documentation, scheduling, and communication.”
While Mudassir was building the systems behind events, Skylar was shaping how those events were seen. Her internship involved experimenting across Upohar’s marketing channels, tracking which types of posts drove the most engagement and inquiries. She also worked directly with day-of coordinators and photographers to gather photos and details from real events — turning what happens on-site into content that could reach future clients.
“My experience has been interesting because it has allowed me to explore a variety of ways to share content along our marketing channels. It has been rewarding to see posts get large amounts of engagement,” Skylar shared, “and to identify which types of content help increase overall inquiries for the business.”
Two interns, two very different vantage points, but both discovering that what looks simple on the surface (an event, a social post) is the product of many careful, interconnected decisions.
Their Takeaways
For Mudassir, the internship reinforced a core operations principle: strong systems and attention to detail are what make a business run smoothly. A well-organized checklist, an accurate spreadsheet, a properly named file, an updated calendar link — each one seems small in isolation, but together they reduce errors and keep the whole team moving efficiently.
“Data is most valuable when it is organized in a way that helps people make decisions and complete their work,” he reflected. Through building inventory tools, vendor databases, and standardized menu structures, Mudassir turned raw information into practical resources, and grew more confident managing multiple projects independently along the way.
Skylar’s biggest takeaway centered on the human side of the business. Gathering content from multiple clients taught her how to balance storytelling that captures both Upohar’s mission and vision, and the client’s experience. As she put it, showing prospective clients “the whole picture” of the catering experience means going beyond photos of food: it means communicating the relationships Upohar builds with every client, so they feel comfortable and prepared on the day of their event.
Two Perspectives, One Mission
Mudassir and Skylar spent their summers working on opposite sides of the same equation — one perfecting the infrastructure that for streamlined event execution, the other shaping the story that brings clients through the door in the first place.
Together, their experiences capture something true about Upohar World Kitchen: behind every seamless event is a team paying close attention to both the details and the relationships that make it all worthwhile.
For Upohar, it was delightful to have both interns on our team this summer. Everyone appreciated their contribution, and we’re curious to see where this experience takes them next!
