Matthew Kou '06 Hospitality Management

Cal Poly Pomona opened doors for Matthew Kou.

Growing up, he loved cooking and helping his mother entertain guests. It seemed natural he might want to be a chef. Yet rather than go to a culinary school after high school graduation, Kou enrolled at Cal Poly Pomona, majoring in hospitality management .

The program helped Kou find the path that was right for him.

“I worked long hours at the Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch, which is entirely student-run and required coursework,” Kou says. “I have fond memories of being part of the team of students hosting charity events.”

As exhilarating as the work was, Kou realized that for him, cooking was best kept as a hobby, not a profession.

“The most valuable part of my Cal Poly Pomona experience was time with the professors who had real-world experience,” Kou says. “Don St. Hilaire and Margie Jones guided me to the finance and investment side of hospitality. I never knew that existed until they introduced it to me.

“They also opened the door to a network of contacts that would benefit me throughout my career,” he adds.

His internship and first job after graduation was as a consultant in hospitality real estate. Subsequently, Kou worked in investment banking specializing in hotel financing and then for a large owner-operator of West Coast boutique hotels in investments and acquisitions.

In 2021, Kou co-founded Green Door Hospitality, a privately-owned company that invests in primary destination hospitality properties. One early acquisition is the historic Sierra Sky Ranch in Oakhurst, CA, close to Yosemite Valley.

Now, Kou is opening doors for current students at Collins College. As a frequent guest speaker and stints as professor for a day, he gives behind-the-scenes look at real-world transactions and urges them to start networking while still in school. He also generously contributes to the annual Hospitality Uncorked event, which raises funds for the college.

“I tell them to absorb everything that is taught and to not be afraid to ask questions,” Kou says.