Stephen Hays

Stephen Hays is the Founder of What If Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Frisco, Texas. Since establishing the firm in January 2020, he has directed over $83 million across 72 startups focused on mental health and addiction recovery, supported by more than 4,100 limited partners. Previously, Hays served as the Founder and Managing Partner of Deep Space Ventures, where he led 25 early-stage technology investments. He also created the Stigma Podcast, a platform discussing wellness that has featured prominent industry figures such as Calm co-founder Michael Smith. Before entering venture capital, he spent over six years executing mergers and capital raises as a Wall Street investment banker after earning degrees from West Point and Vanderbilt University. His career centers on leveraging financial expertise to scale digital health solutions and destigmatize mental healthcare.