Will Hathaway[1] [2] has always paid attention to how things work—and more importantly, to what happens when they stop working as they should. Whether it was watching the newspaper industry struggle to adapt to digital or discovering serious issues in his own drinking water, his career has been shaped by firsthand experiences with systems in need of change.
Over the years, Hathaway has helped develop technology used by some of the largest media companies in the world. He’s worked to keep local journalism alive, led complex partnerships, and grown a video platform from day one to a nine-figure operation. His background includes sales, partnerships, ad operations, media, marketing, and technology—skills that helped scale the platform and nurture lasting industry relationships.
Now, his attention is on something closer to home: clean water. Currently, he’s launching a filtration company designed to remove over 360 contaminants, with the goal of improving people’s health through something most take for granted every day.
At first glance, the shift from video infrastructure to water purification might seem unrelated. For Hathaway, though, both efforts were motivated by real-world problems—first, helping local publishers struggling with digital revenue, and later, addressing health risks caused by contaminants in household water. His new company is concerned with performance, innovation, and social impact, with the goal of improving access to clean drinking water for millions.
The Newsroom That Influenced His View of the World
Before he worked in tech, Hathaway spent much of his childhood in a newsroom. Both of his parents were journalists at the Hartford Courant for over two decades, and he grew up surrounded by reporters who were dedicated to local stories and public accountability. The paper itself had been around since 1764, and its role in the community was taken seriously—until it wasn’t.
Like many newspapers across the country, the Courant struggled to keep up as readers and advertisers increasingly moved online. After being bought by a hedge fund, the paper shut down its physical newsroom and cut much of its staff. Hathaway saw the collapse firsthand, and the experience stuck with him.
Seeing how much the media industry was changing eventually pushed him to join a startup aimed at helping news outlets keep up with the shift to digital. As one of the company’s founding members, he helped develop a video-based system that made it easier for publishers—especially smaller, local ones—to add video to their websites and earn advertising revenue.
In the beginning, the goal was to support local journalism, but the platform kept growing. Before long, it was being used by hundreds of publishers, including big names like News Corp, Gannett, Arena Group, and Dotdash Meredith. The system’s AI-powered tools—including a machine-learning-based contextual recommendation engine and an automated yield system—helped publishers of all sizes improve how they monetized content across their sites.
Turning Points and Strategic Collaborations in the Media Space
A significant turning point came when Hathaway helped close the company’s first Tier-1 deal with Hearst Newspapers. He describes it as a defining moment that changed the trajectory of the business, turning the small startup into something much more established.
Soon after, the company started expanding in a new direction with the Local Media Consortium—a group representing more than 5,000 newspapers, broadcasters, and digital outlets across North America. It was looking for a long-term video solution, and after a detailed 18-month review, named Hathaway’s company as a preferred partner for its member organizations.
This partnership was especially important because it provided local publishers with access to tools like AI-powered video recommendations and an advertising marketplace—resources they might not have had the capacity to implement on their own. It also streamlined the integration process by eliminating the complicated legal and technical barriers that often arise when adopting new technology.
For Will Hathaway, who colleagues describe as a natural dealmaker, the moment felt meaningful. After growing up inside local newsrooms, he had seen firsthand how fragile local journalism had become. Now, he had the opportunity to support those newsrooms with better monetization tools—marking a proud moment in his career.
The Moment Clean Water Became a Personal Problem
After years of working in media and technology, Hathaway turned his attention to water quality following blood test results that revealed irregularities. He began looking for answers and eventually realized that his drinking water was part of the issue. Like most, he had assumed his water was clean, but after he did more digging, he found out it was full of microplastics and other contaminants.
Hathaway decided to switch to a higher-quality filter, and his blood work, energy, and ability to focus improved almost immediately. This made him wonder: if clean water could make that much of a difference in his own life, what could it do for others?
That thought led to his latest venture in designing a water filtration company. Hathaway wants to give people a product that actually protects their health and is widely accessible, not just a luxury item for the few who can afford it.
Putting People First in Leadership, Learning, and Mentorship
Although Hathaway’s professional achievements are notable, much of his focus also extends beyond company metrics. He considers personal growth, consistent improvement, and honest relationships essential to both leadership and daily life. His values include kindness, a commitment to excellence, a desire for innovation, and an ongoing drive to make a positive impact no matter the space he’s in.
He enjoys mentoring people younger than himself and has done so in different contexts throughout his career, motivated by his belief in the value of early, consistent guidance. Hathaway has also expressed interest in joining Big Brother Miami, a nonprofit organization that matches adult volunteers (“Bigs”) with at-risk children (“Littles”) to provide them with support, encouragement, and a positive role model to look up to.
Learning outside of formal education has played an essential role in how Hathaway leads and makes decisions. Instead of sticking to what’s familiar, he encourages people to explore subjects beyond their comfort zones, including areas such as intellectual property and finance, which may initially feel intimidating or inaccessible. He also believes that experimenting early and learning through trial and error is essential, not because it leads to immediate success, but because it offers important information for future decisions.
Anchored by People and Purpose in Every Aspect of Life
The clearest examples of what matters most to Hathaway isn’t found in his career, but in how he responded when someone close to him needed help. A friend of his had been going through a mental health crisis, attempting to take her own life. He not only stayed by her side throughout the entire recovery process, but still checks in with her daily through FaceTime to make sure she knows someone is there for her.
In order to be there for others, Hathaway understands the importance of taking care of himself. Rather than trying to avoid stress entirely—which he doesn’t think is possible—he focuses on managing it through hobbies like tennis, padel, skiing, and basketball. He also makes time to read, work out, and stay connected with a group of mentors and longtime friends. As his ventures grow, he remains intentional about building strong teams and sharing responsibilities to protect both the health of the company and his own well-being.
Redefining What Success Means and Who It’s For
William Hathaway doesn’t define success by accolades, valuations, or other financial metrics. Instead, he measures it by the positive impact a product or idea can have and whether it truly solves a real problem. That perspective influenced his work in digital media and continues to guide his efforts as he transitions into water filtration.
Hathaway isn’t starting a company in response to market demand, but because his personal experiences showed him just how important clean water really is to overall health—and how hard it can be to find without the right tools. If he can take what he’s learned and turn it into something that helps protect others, he considers that time well spent.
Much of his work—both past and present—has been guided by entrepreneurs like Barbara Corcoran, whose team-centered leadership, resilience, and real-world experience continue to inspire how he leads today. Whether he’s developing technology that helps local publishers or designing filtration systems that promote long-term health, the goal has always been to find what’s broken, create innovative solutions, and keep moving forward with purpose.
I went ahead and highlighted the other keywords so they're easy to find when placing the other backlinks.
We will add backlinks when we have them, thanks for catching that