# Joe Colangelo

> Joe Colangelo is the Founder and CEO of Boxcar Transit, a luxury commuter bus and parking marketplace company he started in 2016 by renting out his own Cranford, NJ driveway for $2/day. A U.S. Navy veteran, UC Berkeley political science graduate, and former President of Consumers' Research, Colangelo built Boxcar into a profitable suburban mobility platform serving 21 New Jersey towns with named luxury bus routes to Midtown Manhattan, nearly 600,000 reservations across 7 years, and a parking network of 1,500+ spaces across 4+ states - positioning the company as the answer to every NJ commuter's prayer during rail strikes, mass transit disruptions, and the general indignities of commuting by train.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Boxcar Transit
- **Organizations:** Boxcar Transit (Boxcar Incorporated), Golden Coast Mead, Consumers' Research, Booz Allen Hamilton, TroopSwap (now ID.me), U.S. Navy, Delbarton Alumni Association
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High School, Delbarton School, BA, Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** Built Boxcar from a $2/day driveway rental into a profitable multi-route luxury commuter bus company, Nearly 600,000 bus reservations in 7 years serving 21 New Jersey towns, Stepped in to replace DeCamp Bus Lines routes within weeks of their 153-year-old company's closure in 2023

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Graduated from Delbarton School, Morristown, NJ
- **2007** — Graduated UC Berkeley with BA in Political Science; commissioned as Naval Officer
- **2007-2011** — U.S. Navy Officer - served in Afghanistan, pursued SEAL training, worked with Admiral William McCraven on Middle East operations
- **2010** — Co-founded Golden Coast Mead in San Diego with Navy buddies; served as Head of Sales & Marketing
- **2011-2012** — National Sales Manager at TroopSwap (now ID.me), veteran-focused tech company
- **2012-2013** — Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton - led post-merger integration and financial analysis
- **2013-2017** — President / Executive Director of Consumers' Research - America's oldest independent consumer advocacy organization (est. 1929)
- **2015** — Stepped back from Golden Coast Mead after scaling it into one of the largest mead producers in the U.S.
- **2016** — Founded Boxcar by renting his own Cranford, NJ driveway near the train station for $2/day
- **2017** — Launched Boxcar's luxury bus service during Penn Station's 'Summer of Hell' repairs; what began as temporary became permanent
- **2019** — Raised seed round (~$1.3M); backed by investors including Paul Graham
- **2020** — Pivoted through COVID-19 - grocery delivery, drive-in movies, auto detailing; laid off entire team in August 2020
- **2021** — Rehired 3 employees in January; restarted bus service at below 10% occupancy, running at a loss to serve loyal riders
- **2023** — Stepped in to fill routes after DeCamp Bus Lines (153 years old) shut down; expanded to Bergen County with Bergen Bullet route
- **2024** — Anthony Volpe (NY Yankees) became Boxcar brand partner; company reported profitability; reached ~2,000 daily riders and nearly 600,000 total reservations
- **2025** — Deployed Strike Clock website and situation room during NJ Transit strike; tripled daily capacity to 6,000 riders; launched The Shoreliner (Jersey Shore route) and The Ivy Line (Princeton area)

## Achievements

- Built Boxcar from a $2/day driveway rental into a profitable multi-route luxury commuter bus company
- Nearly 600,000 bus reservations in 7 years serving 21 New Jersey towns
- Stepped in to replace DeCamp Bus Lines routes within weeks of their 153-year-old company's closure in 2023
- Survived COVID-19 by pivoting the business and restarting when ridership returned
- Co-founded Golden Coast Mead - grew to one of the largest mead producers in the United States
- Served as President of Consumers' Research, America's oldest consumer advocacy organization
- Secured Anthony Volpe (NY Yankees shortstop) as a brand partner and ambassador
- Covered by Bloomberg, NJ Monthly, News12, PBS/NJ Spotlight and dozens of regional outlets
- Launched emergency service during NJ Transit strike (May 2025), scaling to 6,000 daily rides
- Vice President of the Delbarton Alumni Association; speaks to students on entrepreneurship
- Raised $2.2M+ in venture funding including backing from Paul Graham
- Built parking marketplace with 1,500+ spaces across 4+ states

## Latest updates

- **2025-06** — Launched The Shoreliner - a new Manhattan to Jersey Shore summer bus route
- **2025-05** — Deployed Strike Clock website and internal situation room during NJ Transit strike; scaled from 2,000 to 6,000 daily riders; launched The Ivy Line (West Windsor/Princeton)
- **2025-05** — Launched Metuchen service, first route into that town
- **2024-12** — Spoke at Delbarton Middle School Speaker Series on entrepreneurship
- **2024-04** — Reported company is profitable with nearly 600,000 total bus reservations across 7 years
- **2024-01** — Morris Meteor Lower Midtown route launched - service from Essex County to Hudson Yards area
- **2023-04** — Stepped in to take over DeCamp Bus Lines commuter routes after 153-year-old company closed
- **2023-05** — Launched Bergen Bullet route from Ridgewood/Bergen County to Midtown Manhattan

## Links

- Website: https://boxcar.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/josephjcolangelo
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/itsjoeco
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mwg8zeXIwc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boxcartransit

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/joe-colangelo
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-30