Durham College’s I heart DC Committee to present ‘Alumni in the Pit’ on April 3

Students will learn from two of college’s most successful young graduates

Oshawa, Ont. – Durham College (DC) students will have a chance to learn the secret to business success straight from two of the college’s most successful graduates on Thursday, April 3 when Ian Ball, president of McEwen Mining Inc. (McEwen), and Russ Montague, president of ShirtPunch and Nerd Block, come to campus for ‘Alumni in the Pit’.

The event, which is being presented by the college’s I heart DC Committee, will see Ball and Montague share their insight on business success; the promotion of entrepreneurship and innovation; and the value of work hard and determination.

Since graduating from the Advertising program in 2004, Montague has grown ShirtPunch, which specializes in geek-themed and meme T-shirts, from a family-funded start-up company into a thriving business that has netted more than $1 million in sales and produced licensed designs for brands like Star Wars, Adventure Time and Marvel. ShirtPunch’s success has allowed him to continue to expand his entrepreneurial spirit with the development of Nerd Block, a subscription service, which provides subscribers with a monthly delivery of niche-themed toys, collectibles and T-shirt’s.

Ball, a 2002 graduate of the Marketing program, was named president of McEwen in September 2013. One of the youngest presidents on Bay Street, he previously worked for McEwen Capital Corporation, where he was responsible for raising capital, structuring transactions and managing exploration programs throughout North America. In addition, he has played a role in various mergers and acquisitions throughout the natural resource sector, which have a combined market value of $11 billion.

Who:

  • Durham College students
  • Ian Ball, president of McEwen
  • Russ Montague, president of ShirtPunch and Nerd Block

When:
April 3
1 to 2 p.m. – student session
2 to 3 p.m. – media availability

Where:
Durham College Oshawa campus
The Pit, Gordon Willey building
2000 Simcoe Street North

Parking:
Enter off Simcoe Street North and proceed to the Commencement parking lot.

For more information contact:
Michelle Roebuck
Communications and Marketing
905.721.2000 ext. 2197
michelle.roebuck@durhamcollege.ca