A life long resident of Colorado, Stephan grew up in Denver and eventually moved to Steamboat when he sold his business in 2000. Stephan has a strong background in business, earning an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, one of the top business schools in the country.

After locating to Steamboat, Stephan became a residential homebuilder, with his company Zittel Real Estate Development (ZRED). Stephan has built over 46 homes in some of the more exclusive parts of the Steamboat area. Homes varied from single-family luxury homes to multi-family residences that include triplexes and duplexes.

In conjunction to home building, Stephan has been a Realtor for over 20 years. As a developer, many of his projects are designed and built with the real estate market in mind. He works with both buyers and sellers. He has won many sales awards, and consistently rates well in overall commissions earned.