• Written by: Tyler Gibson, Digital Business Management student
• Edited by: Ejin Zandi, Digital Business Management student

Meet Thomas Durham, CEO & Founder of Mango Digital

Thomas Durham is a graduate of Humber college’s Digital Business Management Bachelor of Commerce program. He is also the CEO and founder of Mango Digital – a long-term digital solutions partner for Canadian businesses of any size looking to scale their online operations.

How To Set Yourself Apart:

In my meeting with my mentor Thomas Durham, I learned quite a lot in regards to how to leverage myself at Humber College and amongst classmates. Tomas mentioned that similar to myself, he was not a very social person when he was at Humber. It was not until he got his first paid job through Humber, that he began to realize that the time to create connections was approaching. 

This is something that I was immediately able to relate to. I realized I have not been fully using the tools presented to me to get the experience that employers are looking for. Thomas made a very important point that almost all of the work that a beginner will do will be for free and that shouldn’t bother us because it will help us gain experience in return. 

Setbacks? Unhappy Customers?

Thomas mentioned that a good tip is to know your limits. He said “ Know that there will always be setbacks. It is important to know how to respond to them. For example, “if you have a client that is waiting on a product but you have a tight schedule or you have an assignment but you do not have much time to deliver, you should immediately tell the client or your professor and move on from there (Efficient logical decisions).” I personally, realized that sometimes I moved on too early which resulted in unhappier professors, friends. My goal is now to rationally analyze the situation and respond accordingly. 

What It Means To Be Strategic:

Thomas explained the importance of plans and schedules. “Although plans are important, you should not get caught too much in “having a plan”. It is important to know how to execute those plans.” I genuinely liked how he explained the planning and how to be strategic. I will now try to not only plan my days but also have a plan on how to execute them too.

Thoughts On Different Work Opportunities:

We discussed the importance of work experience. We both agreed that when presented with a work opportunity regardless if it’s a job at Humber or a work required by your professor, you should not hesitate to take the lead. He said, “ These work opportunities are a great resource to network and get your name out there. If you practice what you preach, good things will come your way.

This is what he did himself. He kept improving and doing good things for people. In return, he saw many rewarding opportunities. I agree that building connections can be extremely helpful when it comes to having references or landing a job. 

How has Mentorship Program Helped:

I am thankful for Thomas and his insightful words. I feel like this mentoring program has enabled me to understand how to be successful at Humber or in my personal life. I hope that I can use this knowledge to better my journey every day.