Tom Russell

Festival Exec, C3 Presents &

Co-Founder, Gov Ball

Tom Russell is a New York City native and the co-founder of The Governors Ball Music Festival, the city’s longest-running and most influential music event. Tom’s career in live entertainment began at Tulane University; while still a student, he parlayed an unpaid internship into a full-time role at Superfly, where he went on to have managerial roles at landmark festivals such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.

Driven by a vision to create a world-class festival for his hometown, Tom departed in late 2010 to launch Founders Entertainment. Under his leadership, Gov Ball grew from a local upstart into a national powerhouse, leading to a joint venture with Live Nation in 2016 and a 2024 merger with C3 Presents, the global leader in festival promotion and production.

Today, Tom manages a diverse portfolio of premier festivals across New York, California, Arizona, Georgia, and Texas. A devoted New Yorker, he lives in the Village with his wife and three children and remains a steadfast supporter of the Knicks, Mets, and the city’s public parks.