Joe Deshotel

Former Director of Community Engagement, RideAustin

Austin

Joe Deshotel is originally from Beaumont, Texas, but a combination of live music, politics and natural beauty brought him to Austin in 2010. After realizing Austin faced its own growing pains, he developed a passion for finding solutions to improving urban transportation and creating a more equitable community by addressing the city’s affordability crisis. He has built a career in Public Relations that began with successful local political campaigns and led to altering the national narrative on ridesharing in his last role as Director of Community Engagement for RideAustin. He recognizes the transformative nature of mobility as service and is carving out a niche at the intersection of technology, transportation, and clean energy. Joe has had the honor of introducing President Barack Obama on stage, receiving awards for his political commentary and has been quoted in dozens of local and national publications. He is a relationship builder, a lover of animals and the outdoors, and always looking for his next great challenge.