A Boutique Advisory Firm
Focused on Your Success

Stephen E. Capizzi founded Apex Exit Advisors and serves as Managing Principal. Over his 30-year career, Steve has guided more than a hundred business owners through successful sales, helping them harvest the wealth they’ve built and transition on their own terms.

What sets Steve apart is a rare combination of expertise: exit planning, value creation, and M&A transaction execution. He knows how to prepare owners and businesses for transition, increase enterprise value before going to market, and run a competitive sale process that maximizes proceeds. This integrated skill set makes Steve the clear choice for owners of companies generating $5 million to $50 million in revenue who want to get everything they deserve when they sell.

Steve collaborates with financial advisors, attorneys, CPAs, and other professionals who serve business owners, creating a coordinated team that addresses the owner’s business, financial, family, and personal goals throughout the transition.

His credentials reflect this comprehensive background. Steve holds the Certified Merger & Acquisition Advisor (CM&AA) designation through the Alliance of Merger & Acquisition Advisors. He earned his Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) credential in 2008 through the Exit Planning Institute and was recognized as their Member of the Year in 2017.

His Certified Value Growth Advisor (CVGA) designation through Corporate Value Metrics reflects his ability to diagnose business strengths and increase enterprise value. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner (CFP®), Steve understands the broader financial landscape, enabling effective collaboration with financial advisors and wealth managers.

Steve has served as President of the Financial Planning Association of Georgia and President of the Georgia Chapter of the Exit Planning Institute (2015–2021). He speaks regularly on exit planning and business transition topics.

He lives in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, where he enjoys fitness, hiking, and exploring the human mind. Steve is an avid sports fan—especially football and baseball—and attends First Baptist Church of Atlanta.

Phillip Williams is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) with 30 years of commercial banking experience who helps business owners maximize value and achieve successful exits. Having facilitated millions in financing for businesses, Phillip understands what makes companies attractive to buyers and investors.

In 2015, Phillip launched his consulting practice, P & P Business Solutions, specializing in debt and equity capital raising for lower middle market businesses. He earned his CEPA® designation from the Exit Planning Institute in 2019 and has since guided numerous owners through complex exit planning processes and sell-side deal negotiations.

What sets Phillip apart is his unique dual perspective as both a seasoned banker and certified exit planning strategist. His banking background provides intimate knowledge of how lenders and investors evaluate businesses, while his CEPA® training ensures he can maximize business value and minimize transition risks.

Phillip focuses on proactive planning, recognizing that successful exits require strategic preparation. He works with owners to identify value enhancement opportunities, address potential roadblocks, and ensure financial readiness for transition. His extensive professional network and CEPA® community connections provide clients with comprehensive support throughout the exit process.

For business owners seeking capital or planning their exit, Phillip Williams offers proven financial expertise, sell-side transaction experience, and specialized exit planning credentials—making him an invaluable partner in maximizing your life’s work while achieving your personal and financial objectives.

Mike Gentry is a proven business builder and strategic partnership architect with over 25 years of experience creating, scaling, and monetizing businesses through the power of strategic relationships. At Apex Exit Advisors, Mike leverages his exceptional track record in partnership development and relationship-building to recruit top-tier advisors and forge strategic alliances that drive value for lower middle market business owners.

Mike’s entrepreneurial prowess is defined by his talent for forging high-impact partnerships. In 2009, he launched DHP Home Delivery as an online innovator in medical-supply distribution, securing strategic alliances with healthcare facilities and pioneering direct-to-consumer channels. Those collaborative relationships ultimately paved the way for DHP’s acquisition by Woodbury Products, part of HealthEdge Investment Partners.

Mike’s role at Apex Exit Advisors centers on his proven ability to identify, recruit, and develop strategic partnerships. His approach focuses on creating mutually beneficial relationships that align with business objectives and drive measurable results. Mike understands that successful partnerships require more than agreements – they demand strategic vision, effective governance, and the ability to motivate partners toward shared success.

Mike Gentry represents the ideal combination of executive leadership, entrepreneurial success, and strategic relationship expertise – exactly what growing businesses need to scale through powerful partnerships.

As Vice President of Business Development at Apex Exit Advisors, Lea Capizzi helps business owners navigate one of the most pivotal seasons of their professional journey—planning for and executing a successful exit. With more than three decades of experience in business growth, financial services, and real estate investment, Lea is a trusted advisor known for building strategic relationships that create long-term value.

Lea’s expertise spans both sides of the table. She has scaled businesses, co-founded and managed real estate portfolios, and led high-performing sales and advisory teams in both corporate and entrepreneurial environments. Prior to joining Apex, she has served in leadership and senior business development roles in the business services and real estate sectors.

Her strength lies in identifying opportunities, aligning the right resources, and forging connections that lead to clear, confident decisions for business owners. Lea brings not only a BS in Finance and specialized certifications in real estate—but also a service-minded approach that resonates with founders seeking a thoughtful, personalized exit strategy.

At Apex, Lea is the first point of connection for many of our clients. She understands the weight of what’s at stake—and is passionate about helping owners realize the full potential of their life’s work.