Guiding with Experience and Empathy
With experience across Virgin and Channel 4, Damini brought more than professional knowledge to his mentoring relationship — he brought shared heritage, cultural understanding, and a commitment to empowering those who often have to work twice as hard to be heard.
What Drew Him to the Programme
Damini heard about the Aleto mentoring initiative through Veronica Martin and immediately recognised an opportunity to make a meaningful difference. His motivation was personal: a commitment to supporting young people and uplifting the Black community. He signed up without hesitation.
A Connection Beyond the Professional
From the very first conversation, Damini and his mentee found common ground that went beyond typical mentoring. Sharing Nigerian heritage — and even overlapping family experiences — created a bond built on authenticity and trust. "We ended up talking on the phone for hours. It was a great connection," he recalls.
That shared background allowed Damini to guide with genuine understanding — not just of the professional challenges his mentee faced, but of the cultural context shaping her experience.
We ended up talking on the phone for hours. It was a great connection.
Practical, Mentee-Led Guidance
Over monthly meetings, Damini focused on tangible, career-focused guidance: pay progression, financial management, promotion strategy, and CV development. He kept his approach mentee-led — remaining open and accessible, and following his mentee's lead on where support was most needed.
The results were concrete. His mentee used their work together to prepare for a career conversation about pay and progression — and secured a pay rise within just three months of joining her company, with another following at the next annual review.
Helping my mentee be explicit and assertive was powerful. White men often feel confident pushing boundaries, while ethnic minorities and women — especially Black women — may feel less confident to do so.
A Two-Way Street
Damini was candid about one of the broader insights that emerged through the process: that ethnic minorities and women often approach career advancement more cautiously than their peers — not because of a lack of capability, but because of the environments they navigate. Helping his mentee become more assertive and explicit about what she deserved was, in his words, powerful.
He also found that mentoring prompted genuine reflection on his own career and finances. The experience reinforced something he already believed: guidance flows both ways.
His Advice to Future Mentors
Damini's advice is simple but carries weight: "Come in with an open mind and open heart. You're there to help, and your experience has value. You don't need to be a CEO to make a difference."