NextMission Navigator

NextMission Navigator uses the Perplexity API to help veterans find real-time housing, therapy, grants, and other resources by turning web data into customized AI written action plans.

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🫡 Inspiration

As an Army brat turned enlistee, I thought I understood the military world, until a medical discharge at 19 left me suddenly navigating civilian life on my own. Years later, I watched my now-husband retire after 24 years of service, only to face the same overwhelming questions: “What now? Where do I belong?”

A few years ago, while working to rediscover and redefine myself during a long and difficult divorce after two decades in support roles as a wife and mother, I found my path working in AI. It gave me a second chance at clarity, purpose, and forward momentum, driven by a deep belief in technology’s power to transform lives. Now I’m using that same technology to light the way forward for others.

Although I completed the requirements for my AS in Technology Development back in 2010, I worked primarily in part-time branding consulting until 2017, when I transitioned into crypto as a Blockchain Investment Strategist and portfolio manager. In 2021, during my divorce, I returned to finish the final semester of my BAS in Management and Organizational Leadership, a degree I had paused 10 years earlier when my youngest child was born with Cystic Fibrosis.

I spent several years working in crypto and blockchain before transitioning to AI contract work in 2022. That shift changed everything. I saw firsthand how AI could empower individuals, not just automate tasks. I pivoted fully into AI and data, earning certifications like:

  • IBM AI Product Manager
  • IBM Applied AI Developer
  • Google Data Analytics

Since then, I’ve designed AI agents for businesses and C-suite professionals, and built websites for both clients and myself. But NextMission Navigator is the first project I’ve taken from concept to deployment entirely on my own.

⚙️ What it does

NextMission Navigator is a personalized AI assistant built to help veterans plan their next chapter in real time. It uses Perplexity’s sonar-reasoning-pro model to pull verified, up-to-date resources (from housing and healthcare to education, job training, therapy, and grants), and turns those into tailored action plans.

Veterans type in their goal, and the assistant responds with clear, step-by-step guidance, including real links, context, and encouragement for every stage of their journey.

🛠️ How I built it

I built NextMission Navigator as a full-stack solo project, using:

  • Next.js for the front end
  • Tailwind CSS and ShadCN UI for styling and responsive design
  • Perplexity's API (via sonar-reasoning-pro) for real-time, citation-backed AI responses
  • Custom prompt engineering and content parsing to ensure output quality and structure
  • Vercel for hosting and deployment
  • GitHub for version control and code management

I structured the app around a clean, modular layout with an /app directory in Next.js, REST API routes in /api, and reusable UI components. I used fetch to securely call Perplexity’s API and integrated environment variables for key management during deployment.

Although I initially experimented with Lovable.dev and Replit to speed up prototyping, Lovable lacked the flexibility I needed and, as a new Replit user, I kept running into issues with its AI agent overwriting my code, especially simplifying or breaking my API logic. After hours of debugging and reworking structures, I pushed the codebase to GitHub, cleaned it up, and deployed through Vercel for better control and long-term stability.

From idea to deployment, every line of code, prompt, and interface was built by me. It’s not perfect yet. Some links are placeholders and several features still need refining. But I built a fully functioning MVP with no team, no budget, and no prior deployment experience. Just self-motivation, grit, and a deep desire to create something that helps people. That alone makes this one of the proudest achievements of my life.

🪖 Challenges I ran into

  • API Integration: Ensuring Perplexity’s responses remained relevant, actionable, and consistently formatted.
  • Dynamic Prompting: Balancing professionalism and compassion in AI tone while generating structured outputs.
  • Solo Workload: Managing all frontend, backend, and deployment tasks alone on a tight schedule.
  • Prototype Tools Backfiring: Tried using Lovable and Replit to speed up UI development, but ran into limitations and code overwrites. Eventually moved everything to GitHub and Vercel for full control and stability.

🏅 Accomplishments I’m proud of

  • Built and deployed a fully working MVP that delivers personalized, real-time veteran resource plans
  • Designed an agent flow that emphasizes clarity, trust, and empowerment
  • Showcased end-to-end project ownership, from architecture and API integration to frontend and deployment
  • Created something truly aligned with my values: tech with heart, built to serve others

📚 What I learned

  • Prompt engineering + UX = impact. Thoughtful prompts shaped better guidance, not just better answers.
  • Veterans need clarity, confidence, and compassion more than data dumps.
  • Great AI isn’t just smart, it moves people forward.

🚀 What’s next for NextMission Navigator

This is just the beginning.

Next steps:

  • Launch a mobile-first version to improve accessibility
  • Expand to serve military spouses, caregivers, and underserved youth
  • Integrate voice and chatbot features for lower-tech users
  • Pursue veteran-focused grants and partnerships to make this tool free and accessible nationwide

For every veteran asking “What’s next?” NextMission Navigator will be there to help them find the answer.

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