Dorm Dudes
04/23/2025
Drew Ireland '25 and Jackson Clark '24, MBA '26, run the "Dorm Dudes" business out of a residence hall room.
Teammates turned business partners
Jackson Clark ’24, MBA ’26, from Mount Blanchard, Ohio, and Drew Ireland ’25, from Coshocton, Ohio, have been working together as business partners this past year and transformed their residence hall room, also called a “dorm room,” into their own workspace for a growing company, Dorm Dudes.
Dorm Dudes is a sports memorabilia business on social media that Clark and Ireland built and run, all from right in a dorm room. Through live video streams known as “breaks,” Clark and Ireland host high-energy online events where customers purchase spots to receive random sports cards from unopened packs.
Ireland’s childhood friend, who attends Ashland University, is the founder of Dorm Dudes Breaks. Ireland’s friend approached him with the idea of bringing Dorm Dudes to Bluffton University.
Through Dorm Dudes, Clark and Ireland are gaining experience in every aspect of running a business. Together they serve as supply managers, salesmen through live videos sales, social media managers, shipping and receiving, and much more.
“We enjoy working with Dorm Dudes because we are able gain a lot of experience and we get to have fun while doing it,” said Clark. “Sometimes we work 12-to-14-hour days, but it doesn’t feel that way because we both enjoy the work we are doing.”
In December, Clark and Ireland traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with Dorm Dudes to grow their business, create giveaways for their followers and even meet big name celebrities.
“Not too many 21-year-olds are able to have experiences like this and live stream with famous celebrities,” said Ireland. “We were able to work with Chad Ochocinco, Tyreek Hill, Franklin Gore, Odell Beckham Jr. and Shaquille O'Neal.”
Clark, a December 2024 undergraduate and now a Master of Business Administration (MBA) student, and Ireland, a business administration and sport management double major, say they are using concepts and skills learned through their classes in their work with Dorm Dudes.
“A big concept I have learned through my classes that I apply to my work with Dorm Dudes is ethical decision making,” said Ireland. “When you run a business, you have to ensure everything you do is ethical and that it aligns with your company’s mission, and that is what we try to do.”
When they aren’t running their business, Clark and Ireland stay busy on campus.
During his time at Bluffton, Clark served as a men’s soccer team captain, vice president of Student Senate, a resident advisor, Lead President’s Ambassador and president of Bluffton University Business Leaders (BUBL). Ireland was also a men’s soccer team captain, resident advisor and Becoming a Scholar (BAS) mentor.
Clark and Ireland say that Dorm Dudes is just getting started and plan to see more success in the future. In May, they plan to move to Ashland, Ohio, and work in the main Dorm Dudes Breaks office.
Currently, there are 12 other people working at Dorm Dudes Breaks, and they are looking at expanding their staff.
“Dorm Dudes is a new and unique approaching to doing something everyone loves - sports,” said Clark. “Sports is something that will never stop being a profitable business and growing industry.”