Former OpenAI executive Kevin Weil has joined Stoke Space's board as a director, the company confirmed. Weil, along with his wife Elizabeth through their fund Scribble Ventures, was an early investor in Stoke shortly after CEO Andy Lapsa cofounded the company in 2020 and put it through Y Combinator's winter batch.
Lapsa has since raised $1.34 billion for Stoke, including a $510 million Series D in 2025, to develop Nova, a completely reusable rocket designed to be flown repeatedly. The report notes Weil's most recent role was leading OpenAI's efforts to accelerate scientific research, which he left in April after the work was distributed across the company. He had previously served as OpenAI's chief product officer from June 2024 until October 2025.
The article raises the question of whether Weil's appointment could connect OpenAI to Stoke, noting that OpenAI's Sam Altman reportedly explored investing in Stoke last year. Lapsa declined to comment on "gossip and rumors" about OpenAI, saying Weil's focus is on Stoke itself. Stoke declined to make Weil available and he did not respond to outreach from TechCrunch.