From WOW Week to Learn by Doing Success
Some of the most meaningful Learn by Doing stories begin with a leap, a late-night idea or a friendship formed before you even know where it will lead. For Kevin Rice (Agricultural Business, ’07), that journey started in 2003 with a desire for change, a hands-on education and a move to the Central Coast. What followed was a Cal Poly experience shaped by experimentation, entrepreneurship and a WOW Week connection that would influence the rest of his career.
Kevin Rice came to Cal Poly in 2003 seeking a change from life outside Sacramento and a hands-on learning environment. Drawn to the Central Coast and Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing philosophy, he enrolled as an agricultural business major and graduated early.
Rice met Jesse Dundon (Industrial Technology, ’07; M.S. Industrial and Technical Studies, ’08) during the first night of WOW Week while living in the residence halls. The two quickly became close friends, lived together throughout college and later off campus, and formed a bond that extended beyond social life into shared entrepreneurial interests.
While still students, both pursued business opportunities. Rice completed the College Works Painting internship, gaining experience in marketing, sales and operations. Dundon launched small ventures, including selling screen-printed T-shirts to Greek organizations. After graduation, they began exploring business ideas together, including a short-lived steam-cleaning service for student move-outs in San Luis Obispo.
With no formal training in technology or design, they taught themselves web development and digital marketing, freelancing to support themselves and avoid traditional corporate jobs. That work eventually evolved into a full-service digital agency, with Rice leading sales and marketing and Dundon overseeing operations and technology.
The company later became Hathway, named after the popular Hathaway Street near Cal Poly, where both lived during college. After several strategic shifts and years of steady growth, the agency was acquired in 2021.
Today, Rice and Dundon remain on the Central Coast, raising their families and staying connected through shared interests and ongoing business ventures. They now advise and invest in other companies, drawing on the experience of building a business from the ground up. Rice has also launched a podcast focused on leadership, career growth and family life.
Rice credits Cal Poly with shaping both his career and his lifelong friendship with Dundon, showing how Learn by Doing can extend far beyond the classroom. From internships and side hustles to launching a company from the ground up, the lessons they learned at Cal Poly continue to guide their work and lives today.
Do you have a Learn by Doing story of your own? Maybe it started with a class project, a club, a job or an idea that grew into something bigger. Share your story and inspire future Mustangs to take the leap!
