Former OpenAI executive Kevin Weil joins Stoke Space board

Weil’s appointment arrives as Stoke Space scales its operations following a massive $510 million Series D funding round in 2025. CEO Andy Lapsa, who previously worked at Blue Origin, noted that Weil has been an informal advisor since the company’s inception in 2020 through his investment firm, Scribble Ventures. While Weil’s background is primarily rooted in digital product strategy, his tenure at Planet Labs and his involvement with the US Army Reserve provide a specific blend of aerospace and defense-sector expertise that aligns with the company’s long-term goals.

The industry is currently watching whether Weil’s recent departure from OpenAI might signal a deeper connection to Sam Altman, who reportedly explored investing in the space sector last year. Lapsa, however, dismissed such speculation, maintaining that the focus remains entirely on engineering the Nova rocket. As the market for orbital launches remains supply-constrained, Stoke Space aims to prove that rapid, complete reusability is the only viable path to making space-based data centers and commercial operations economically feasible.