Joel Feder

Director of Content and Product

About

Overseeing what you see, read, touch, hear, and interact with from the vast lakes of Minnesota, Joel Feder shapes how The Drive looks and operates as the head of content and product initiatives.

On a daily basis, Joel leads the newsroom and editorial staff playing point on both short-term coverage and long-term strategic plans. His mission is to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media by helping the team execute original reporting, breaking news, and exclusive opportunities.

Regarded as an industry insider and recognized by colleagues, fellow journalists, and manufacturers as a point-person and leader in the industry, Joel owns and runs the largest automotive professionals group on Facebook in an effort to serve and help others.

Joel serves as a juror for the World Car Awards. In addition, he is the board chair and chair of the governance and nominating committee for Move Forward MN, a local non-profit that helps at-risk youth with barrier-free mental health and housing services.

While you’re reading this he’s either on his computer or iPhone chasing the latest news or drafting a story.

Experience

Joel is a seasoned journalist and has been described as the “hardest-charging engine in automotive media and a one-man dynamo,” by a past colleague.

He most recently served as the Senior Producer at Internet Brands for The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports, helping build those sites for nearly 15 years.

Frequently a guest on Drive Chicago’s radio program, various podcasts, and appearances on Cheddar along with Fox News, Joel is looked to as an authority in the automotive space. He’s been a panelist at SEMA talking about the future of the automotive industry along with moderating a panel at the J.D. Power Automotive Marketing Roundtable. Joel’s work has been syndicated around the world by The Washington Post, Yahoo, Fox News, Christian Science Monitor, Popular Mechanics, and across Nexstar Media’s group’s network of over 116 news outlets, among others.
As an enthusiast, Joel’s plugged into the landscape through management and assisting with local Cars and Coffee groups both in Portland, Oregon and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

A Minnesota native, Joel graduated from Drake University’s school of business with a business marketing degree while serving as the university’s first car critic. Joel’s embedded in the digital landscape and in previous roles at High Gear Media, SMCPros (now Modern Foundation), and Lola Red PR focused on social media marketing.

He’s made automakers beg for stories to be taken down (which he absolutely did not), uncovered the never released supercars from Vector, told the story of the first Jeep Easter egg, broke news that the Hellcats were dying (because at one point in the world timeline they were), and is respected for being a commensurate professional.