Applestone Consulting

Our Services

We help hardtech founders build strong companies.

You just closed funding, and you need to double your team. So hire engineers to build your people ops machine.
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We specialize in people operations for hardtech companies. We understand the nuances of building people operations infrastructure, for energy storage, industrial equipment, consumer hardware, biotech, and other companies that create physical products. We tailor our work to what you need now.

Get Talent In The Door

Your most critical employees are about to be swamped with hiring. It's time to move past spreadsheets and off-the-cuff interview questions. So let us help you level up and win the best talent.

You'll know:

the talent you need.
how to organize your team.
how to get candidates.
how to interview top performers.
how much it's all going to cost.

Then we'll build the systems and turn the crank on hiring.

Keep The Talent You Have

The bar is high. You are competing with unicorns over the same pool of talent. But unicorns can't deliver the employee experience that you can.

We'll create:

policies that align with your unique culture.
compensation and benefits packages that balance what you can afford with what the market expects.
onboarding that ensures new hires hit the ground running.
the playbook for performance management and professional development.

Leverage Seasoned Executives

We’re well-equipped to handle a multitude of C-level projects, including:

long term strategic operations and financial planning.
sales strategy and process.
product marketing and messaging.
brand identity and visual design.
fundraising strategy and pitch narrative construction.

What our clients say

“In a period of high growth, Danielle pushed us to articulate the unique position of our mission and culture in a very competitive labor market, and then translated that into actionable plans for getting the message out. We saw the returns immediately!”

Mateo Jaramillo

CEO, Form Energy

“Danielle was instrumental in leveling up Alloy when we really needed it. We both leaned in on tough conversations with honesty and vulnerability because Danielle was able to build trust with me so quickly. From our first conversation, she wasn't just a consultant; I knew she was all in when it came to Alloy, the same way I am.”

Ali Forsyth

CEO, Alloy Enterprises

“Danielle sits at the intersection of strong technical knowledge and empathy, which makes her a unique resource for understanding our organization. She was able to deliver qualitative research on our team and pull out ways in which we could make the workplace more efficient and effective as well as ways to create more cohesion and connection in the workplace”

Etosha Cave

Co-Founder & CSO, Twelve

“One of the first things Danielle did was come in and do a listening tour, talking to everyone at the company one-on-one. There was a moment of initial discomfort, wondering what issues might pop up. But Danielle has the ability to pull out the underlying currents of how people are feeling in a way that feels safe. Hearing what came up was hugely powerful for guiding our growth as a company.”

Sam Calisch

CEO, Copper

“Danielle created the humanity of what we're doing by exploring our brand identity and helping me name our VC fund. People often ask how we came up with the name, and when I tell them, there's a smile on their face. It connects them with us on a personal level. The creativity and inquisitiveness that Danielle brought was essential in the early stages of our fund.”

Stacy Brown-Philpot

Founder, Cherryrock Capital

“Working with Danielle has truly helped us grow our business. She has a unique ability to see a business holistically and objectively. She applies her raw growth and storytelling skills to demonstrate what's possible in a way that's hard to do when you are inside the company. She has helped us with P&L growth models, the accompanying story, and brand identity.”

Jocelyn Mangan

CEO, Him For Her

Hire the team you need, now.Build the People Ops engine you need for the future.