Tiger Wisdom Profile: Darius Vaillancourt '06

Phaelan (Darius) Vaillancourt ’06 (mechanical engineering) is the Founder and CEO of Howdy Learning, an educational technology company which focuses on bringing people together to support each other as they learn new skills. It’s unsurprising that Darius started a business of this nature- the majority of his #TigerWisdom revolves around the importance of relationships.

“People you go through a transformative experience with, like college, are often some of the strongest relationships you’ll have in life. Invest time and energy in these relationships, and your life will be richer for it.”

His first job out of RIT was as a project engineer for a global real estate development and construction company. The work led him to China after being promoted to project manager, where he led the design and construction of several manufacturing plants for global Swiss and German engineering companies. After moving back to the United States, receiving his MBA from Yale University, and pivoting into finance and private equity, Darius saw the need for innovation in education, and ultimately made the decision to start Howdy Learning.

“Don’t let anyone tell you are too young or inexperienced to have a positive impact on your work or community.” Darius encourages early career professionals to invest in connections that can help alleviate these challenges. “Even when you lack certain skills, find mentors or people with the right experience that can help you identify the skills you need to accomplish your goals.”

While the next generation of RIT Tigers is stepping into many unknowns, Darius assures them of the many, strong possibilities awaiting them. “While the world is going through a period of uncertainty, this ultimately creates enormous opportunity to innovate and approach problems from a fresh perspective. Continue to learn and build relationships with people you admire and things will be OK.”

Are you an RIT alum like Darius? Want to share your own advice with today’s Tigers? Submit your #TigerWisdom today: https://www.rit.edu/alumni/tiger-wisdom#submit-your-wisdom