Apple Levy

Executive Summary

Apple Levy is the Founder of Obsidian Thorne, author of The Apple Effect, keynote speaker, and an accomplished executive with more than 20 years of experience in business development, strategic growth, and operational leadership. With extensive experience across the architecture, construction, and building industries, she helps established organizations identify new market opportunities, develop influential relationships, strengthen revenue pipelines, and implement the business development systems required for sustainable growth. Her approach combines executive-level relationship development with operational discipline, structured processes, and measurable execution to help companies expand their market presence and create long-term enterprise value.

Business Development Leadership

Apple works directly with a select number of established architecture, construction, and building industry organizations to develop and execute strategic business development initiatives. Her focus extends beyond traditional sales and reactive bidding. She helps firms identify projects during the early planning and development stages, uncover potential RFQ and RFP opportunities before they reach the broader market, and establish relationships with the owners, developers, institutional clients, general contractors, and decision makers who influence project selection. By combining market intelligence, proactive outreach, executive-level relationship development, and disciplined follow-up systems, she helps organizations create stronger pipelines, expand into new markets, and position themselves for opportunities well before formal procurement begins.

Proven Business Development Results

Apple’s business development experience includes helping established companies penetrate new geographic markets, build strategic industry relationships, and generate substantial project opportunities. In a recent engagement with a $17 million cabinet manufacturer, she helped launch expansion efforts into Arizona, generating eleven bid opportunities within the first thirty days with organizations including Gensler, Layton Construction, Empire Group, and other industry leaders. Those efforts subsequently expanded into California, contributing to a broader pipeline exceeding $15 million in submitted bid opportunities over a ninety-day engagement. Her approach emphasizes identifying qualified opportunities, establishing meaningful relationships, and building repeatable processes that support continued business development long after the initial introduction.

Business Development Systems & Market Expansion

Beyond developing relationships, Apple focuses on creating the infrastructure that makes business development consistent, accountable, and scalable. Her work includes market research, early-stage project intelligence, opportunity identification, pipeline recovery, CRM implementation, prospect qualification, strategic outreach, and structured follow-up processes. For architecture firms, this means developing visibility into upcoming projects, identifying owners and institutions with future capital improvement plans, and positioning the firm for consideration before RFQs and RFPs are formally released. For construction companies, manufacturers, and building product suppliers, her approach emphasizes expanding market access, developing specification and procurement relationships, increasing qualified bid invitations, and creating systematic processes that support long-term revenue development.

Operational & Executive Leadership

As an experienced fractional executive and Chief Operating Officer, Apple partners with ownership and executive teams to strengthen the internal structure required to support business growth. Her work includes executive leadership development, organizational design, strategic planning, performance management, operational improvement, accountability systems, and leadership alignment. She understands that sustainable revenue growth requires more than generating opportunities. Organizations must also have the management systems, internal communication, operational capacity, and execution discipline necessary to convert opportunities into profitable, long-term business relationships.

The Apple Effect

Through her book, keynote presentations, and executive advisory work, Apple teaches leaders how disciplined execution, accountability, strong relationships, and operational consistency transform organizations. The principles behind The Apple Effect serve as a foundation of Obsidian Thorne’s methodology, bringing together strategic business development, leadership discipline, and repeatable systems. Her philosophy centers on helping organizations move beyond reactive growth and founder dependence by building structured processes, empowered leadership teams, and sustainable business development capabilities.

Industry Experience

Apple’s experience spans architecture, commercial construction, building products, manufacturing, home services, logistics, transportation, and other established organizations seeking strategic growth and operational improvement. Within the architecture and building industries, her work emphasizes developing relationships across private development, institutional facilities, education, healthcare, commercial real estate, and other project-driven markets. Her broad operational and business development background enables her to understand how opportunities originate, how purchasing and project decisions are influenced, and how organizations can position themselves earlier in the development and procurement process.

Apple currently works with a limited number of organizations through Obsidian Thorne, with a particular focus on strategic business development, early-stage project opportunities, market expansion, executive leadership, and operational systems. To request a confidential introductory conversation or discuss potential engagement opportunities, please use the contact form on this page.