Driven by Innovation, Powered by People, Focused on What Matters
We move fast, think big, and lead with heart because transforming an industry starts with the people behind the tech.
Our Mission
STELLA’s mission is to transform the way dealerships connect with their customers delivering intelligent, personalized, and around the clock interactions that feel human, not automated.
By elevating every touchpoint across voice, text, and chat, STELLA creates frictionless experiences that drive loyalty, free up dealership teams, and modernize automotive retail with secure, industry specific AI.
Our Story
Founded in 2022 in collaboration with automotive dealers and industry investors,
STELLA Automotive AI was built to solve the disconnected and inefficient customer engagement challenges facing modern dealerships.
Since launch, STELLA has rapidly scaled integrating with major dealer systems, expanding across North America, and earning the trust of dealerships nationwide.
Today, STELLA powers millions of conversations and continues to grow through strategic partnerships with leading automotive vendors and OEMs. With new collaborations forming each month, STELLA is driving innovation and elevating the customer experience across the automotive ecosystem.
Meet Our Team
Rich Sands
Chief Executive Officer
Bob Haeffner
Chief Financial Officer & Vice President, Operations
Stephen Brown
Chief AI Officer
Fred Seidelman
Chief Technology Officer
Carrie Hepner
VP, Customer Success
Carol Renna
Director, Human Resources
Board of Directors
William Knowles
COO, Maroone USA
Brodie Cobb
CEO, The Presidio Group LLC
Sidney Haider
SVP Corporate Development,
Reynolds & Reynolds
Darin Clay
Managing Partner, SDS Capital
Steve Derby
Chairman, General Ventures, Inc.
Dealer Advisory Board
Geoffry Pohanka
Pohanka Automotive Group
Mike Maroone
Maroone USA
Let your dealership run smoothly, capture sales, and deliver 24/7 service with the power of STELLA AI.
