Steve Grove is a media executive and former tech and government leader who currently serves as CEO and publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune, one of the largest regional newspapers in the United States. He is also known for his previous leadership roles at Google and YouTube, and for serving in Minnesota state government.

Current role

  • Steve Grove is the CEO and Publisher of the Minnesota Star Tribune, where he leads the company’s operations and overall strategy.
  • He took on the CEO role in April 2023 and is focused on transforming the paper into a modern model for local news.

Earlier government work

  • Before joining the Star Tribune, Grove served as the commissioner of employment and economic development for Minnesota under Governor Tim Walz.
  • In that role, he helped manage economic policy and relief efforts, including pandemic-era programs supporting workers and small businesses.

Career at Google and YouTube

  • Grove spent about 12 years at Alphabet’s Google, where he became the founding director of the Google News Lab, a team that worked with news organizations on data and innovation.
  • He earlier built YouTube’s news and politics team, developing partnerships with news outlets, nonprofits, and political campaigns and organizing high‑profile political interviews and election-related initiatives.

Journalism background

  • Before his tech and government roles, Grove worked as a journalist, including positions at The Boston Globe, ABC News, and the Northfield News in Minnesota.
  • That early reporting experience helped shape his later focus on digital media, civic engagement, and the future of local journalism.

Public profile and recent activity

  • Grove maintains a public profile commenting on media, democracy, and Minnesota civic life, including via his personal site, newsletter, and social media presence.
  • Recent coverage and talks highlight his interest in reinventing local news, community engagement, and the role of regional institutions in a polarized information environment.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.