From Corporate Communications Strategist to Boutique Agency Founder: How Katelyn Davis Built Joyride Group on Deep Domain Expertise
Most PR agencies claim they can handle any industry. Katelyn Davis built her entire business on the opposite bet: that in a sector as complex and rapidly evolving as mobility tech, startups need a partner who truly understands the space, not a jack of all trades.
After spending over a decade working across every side of the automotive and transportation industry, from automakers and suppliers to startups, venture capitalists, community organizations, and government bodies, Katelyn saw a clear pattern. The companies investing early in authentic, transparent storytelling were the ones building trust and scaling successfully, especially as new technologies like autonomy and electrification reshaped the industry. But early-stage mobility startups, the ones pushing the boundaries of how we move people and goods, often didn't have access to that same level of strategic communications. They were running lean, wearing multiple hats, and focused on survival. Yet in an industry this complex and competitive, the ability to clearly articulate your story isn't a luxury. It's essential.
In 2023, Katelyn founded Joyride Group to fill that gap. As a boutique integrated storytelling firm dedicated to the intersection of automotive and transportation tech, Joyride meets mobility innovators exactly where they are. She combines industry fluency with strategic storytelling that's authentic, trustworthy, and impossible to ignore.
Less than a year after launch, Katelyn won a Hermes Creative Award for her work on the nation's first electrified roadway and was named one of the Most Influential Startup PR Professionals in the World. But those accolades came from staying laser-focused on her values: alignment over speed, impact over transactions, and championing diversity in an industry born from two notorious boys clubs: automotive and tech.
Katelyn co-authored "Women Driven Mobility: Rethinking the Way the World Moves" with a foreword by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She co-founded Detroit Moves, an annual community festival connecting the local community with the mobility ecosystem, and has been recognized among Detroit's 30 in their Thirties. She's an alumni of the 2024 Change Collective cohort and a graduate of Leadership Detroit. She served on the board of the Automotive Public Relations Council for more than five years.
In this conversation, Katelyn shares why she left the security of working for large global agencies to start Joyride, how she balances rapid growth with maintaining authenticity, and why her commitment to elevating women's voices and diverse perspectives isn't just about equity. It's about building better products and telling better stories.
You founded Joyride Group in 2023 after over a decade working in the automotive and transportation sector—from automakers and startups to economic development organizations and global communications agencies. What was the pivotal moment that made you realize it was time to launch your own agency, and how did your experience working across every side of the industry inform the way you built Joyride's business model?
The decision to start Joyride wasn’t one dramatic leap, it was the result of a lot of quiet nudges over the years. I had spent my career helping organizations big and small navigate the constantly evolving mobility landscape, and along the way, I started to see clear patterns. The companies that invested early in authentic, transparent storytelling were the ones that built trust and scaled successfully—especially as new technologies like autonomy and electrification reshaped the industry.
But I also saw how early-stage startups—the ones pushing the boundaries of how we move people and goods—often didn’t have access to that same level of strategic communications. They’re running lean, wearing multiple hats, and focused on survival. Yet, in an industry as complex and competitive as mobility, the ability to clearly articulate your story, your impact, and your value proposition isn’t a luxury—it’s essential.
Having worked for large global agencies, I knew their models weren’t designed for startups at this stage. They’re incredibly capable but often too expensive, too broad, and not specialized enough to meet the unique needs of emerging mobility companies. These agencies are “jack of all trades,” but when it comes to something as technical and rapidly evolving as transportation and mobility tech, you need a partner who truly understands the space.I created Joyride to fill that gap. As a boutique agency built on deep domain expertise, Joyride meets mobility innovators exactly where they are—combining industry fluency with strategic storytelling that’s authentic, trustworthy, and impossible to ignore. Our business model reflects what I’ve learned on every side of the industry: that the right story, told the right way, can be the most powerful growth engine a company has.
Less than a year after launching Joyride, you won a Hermes Creative Award for your work on the nation's first electrified roadway, and you were named one of the most influential startup public relations professionals in the world. How do you balance the pressure to scale quickly with maintaining the "authentic storytelling" and deep domain expertise that sets Joyride apart in such a competitive industry?
I often tell my clients that “innovation for innovation’s sake” isn’t impressive if it isn’t aligned with the company’s values and overarching story. The same philosophy guides how I think about Joyride’s growth. Scaling quickly only matters if we’re growing in the right direction and staying true to who we are and what we stand for.
Growth is exciting, but speed for its own sake has never been my north star. For me, the priority is alignment. Alignment with our values, our clients, and our vision for how communications can shape the future of mobility. Authenticity isn’t something you tack on later, it’s the core of how we operate.
Every story we tell is grounded in expertise. We’re not chasing every opportunity that comes our way; we’re intentional about the partners we work with and the impact their innovations can have. That focus allows us to scale in a way that feels sustainable rather than transactional.
Winning awards and recognition is gratifying, but what really matters is when a client tells us our work helped them shift perceptions, win business, or attract investors. That’s the kind of growth worth pursuing.
As co-author of "Women Driven Mobility" with a foreword by Governor Gretchen Whitmer, you've been vocal about elevating women's voices in an industry born from two notorious "boys clubs"—automotive and tech. How does your commitment to championing diversity influence the way you run Joyride, from the clients you take on to the narratives you help them craft?
The principles surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion are the biggest innovation drivers and competitive advantage in any tech sector. In order to create and bring to market a successful technology product or platform, you have to ensure it is scalable and, therefore, suits the needs of the greater market. To do this, you have to understand your markets inside and out. The most transformative ideas in mobility don't come from echo chambers, they are inspired by various lived experiences and developed by diverse teams who come to the table with their own unique and individual perspectives that others may overlook.
At Joyride, that commitment shows up in a few ways. First, we actively seek out clients whose work reflects a broader, more inclusive vision of the future—whether that’s advancing sustainability, building safer systems, or creating access for underserved communities. Second, we’re intentional about how we craft narratives. It’s not just about telling a company’s story, it’s about asking who’s missing from the conversation and making sure their perspectives are elevated.
I co-authored Women Driven Mobility because I wanted to create space for women’s voices in an industry that too often sidelines them. With Joyride, I get to put that belief into practice every day, by building an agency that doesn’t just mirror the industry as it is, but helps shape it into what it can be.
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