Stephan began his career in higher education and disability in 1994 when he joined the staff of AHEAD as the director of communications and marketing. He became their director of operations in 1996 and executive director in 2001. Through his work with AHEAD he has taken on increasingly prominent and influential roles in local, state, and national arenas advocating for the total inclusion of people with disabilities in education and the workplace. In his personal life, Stephan is actively involved in volunteer work with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Amnesty International. Stephan and his partner of 17 years, Michael, live and work in Charlotte, North Carolina with their two four-legged "children," Murphy and Seamus.