Currently Deployed

DANIELLE
APPLESTONE

The rock. The heart.
The secret weapon.

Fractional CXO: Hardtech Startups
Danielle Applestone
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Built to Scale

Technology development doesn't stall a fast-growing company. It's the operating model.

When a business doubles in size without the right structure, decision rights, and leadership alignment in place, execution slows, clarity evaporates, and momentum stalls.

I partner directly with leadership teams to diagnose what's holding the organization back, design the architecture for rapid growth, and build the operating systems that let teams move fast and sustain it.

Currently Deployed

I work as a Scaling Advisor or fractional CXO, embedded with your leadership team, extending your leadership bandwidth through a period of significant growth.

Outcome 01
Execution Velocity
Outcome 02
Organizational Effectiveness
Outcome 03
Growth Readiness
What drives me
01
Exploring the uncharted

I love doing things I've never done before. I feel most inspired when my capacity to learn is fully utilized.

02
Unreasonable challenges

When people say "it's never been done before" or "that's going to be really hard," I double click.

03
Trusted relationships

I enjoy being a person that people call to talk through the toughest of decisions in their most vulnerable moments.

Career highlights
  • Fractional CPO to 30+ climate, biotech, and deep tech companies post-fundraise, scaling teams from seed through Series B.
  • Led a cultural shift at a 250-person company, including diagnosis, leadership alignment, and months of manager training.
  • Serial entrepreneur and co-founder across three industries; five years as a robotics manufacturing CEO raising $6.5M and taking the company through acquisition.
  • PhD, Materials Science & Engineering — UT Austin. S.B., Chemical Engineering — MIT. Varsity Crew Captain & MVP.

Full companies, dates, and key metrics are in the CV.

What people say about working with me
Ali Forsyth — CEO, Alloy Enterprises — acq. by Johnson Controls
Sam Calisch — CEO, Copper — Series A Hardtech Company
What makes me tick
There's a ton of leadership analysis tools out there, but I like the Clifton Strengths Analysis best. I think it gives deeper insights that can be directly applied to working relationships. These are my top five.
1
Achiever
Executing

Relentless drive. A constant internal push toward accomplishment — and a deep satisfaction in hard, productive work.

2
Strategic
Strategic Thinking

Sees patterns where others see complexity. Quickly sorts through the noise to find the best path forward.

3
Arranger
Executing

Thrives in coordination and complexity. Loves figuring out how all the pieces and people can work together at their best.

4
Woo
Influencing

Wins others over. Loves the challenge of meeting someone new and finding the spark that creates connection.

5
Communication
Influencing

Brings ideas to life through words. Finds the right framing, story, or phrase to make things click for any audience.

Leadership principles
After 20+ years of leading teams and working alongside CEOs in different industries, I've landed on a set of principles I keep coming back to.
Start here → yourself

Knowing yourself and connecting to yourself and your wants and needs is the first step to understanding others and building incredible relationships.

Conflict is a clue

It shows you where the misalignment and risk is. When done well, your relationships and work will get stronger.

Everything is an iteration

Always be learning and growing, and don't hang on too tightly to your ideas, successes, and failures.

Only make decisions that only you can make

Equip people with enough context to make good decisions without you. Default to asking questions and trusting.

I tend to get serious about whatever I do
Powerlifting

3/14/26 — 297.6 lbs

Music

My band released an album.

Unusual Richness — The Applestones

The Applestones is my band, and we released an album in 2026: Unusual Richness.

applestones.com