# Unicorn Flames > A Grand Rapids, Michigan venture studio that builds exclusively on Claude — Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code. We train teams to be Claude-fluent, deploy Claude as organizational infrastructure, coach leaders, and source Claude-fluent talent. Mission-driven, Midwest-rooted. ## About Unicorn Flames LLC is a West Michigan venture studio founded by Timothy Haines. We build dignity-centered systems for marketing, growth, recruiting, and coaching in the Midwest — delivered on Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code. Unicorn Flames operates three active subsidiaries: Daylighting Talent, Crash That Course, and Midwest Marketing Meetup. **Founder:** Timothy Haines **Founded:** 2022 **Headquarters:** Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 **Phone:** (616) 546-1620 **Email:** tim@unicornflames.com **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothythaines ## Founder **Timothy Haines** is a solo founder and entrepreneur based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He founded Unicorn Flames to build practical, human-centered ventures at the intersection of education, marketing, and community. Tim has a background in recruiting, storytelling, and brand building. He created Crash That Course as a workshop and education series, Daylighting Talent as a marketing-specialized recruiting firm, and Midwest Marketing Meetup as a free networking community. Tim serves as founder and primary operator of all three subsidiaries. ## Services Unicorn Flames builds exclusively on Claude, and delivers every engagement on Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code. Two moves, one outcome: you ship. **Multiply the team you have** - **Team Training & Development:** Get your team genuinely fluent in Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code — hands-on training that sticks, delivered alongside your people. - **Organizational Infrastructure:** We deploy Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code as the operating layer your team actually runs on — with permissions, safety, and clarity built in. - **Leadership & Executive Coaching:** One-on-one and small-group coaching for leaders steering a team that now runs on Claude — scale your impact without burning out. **Source the talent you don't** - **Talent Placement & Matchmaking:** We source, vet, and place mission-aligned, Claude-fluent talent — vetted on real work with Claude, not just credentials. - **Recruiting & Hiring:** Boutique recruiting for marketing, creative, and operations talent who can work in a Claude-native team — and we stay involved after placement. ## Careers Unicorn Flames grows its own talent through a paid, mentored **30-Day Internship (Sidequest)**: one real project, run in up to three sprints, with 1:1 mentorship from founder Tim Haines and real pay. It's how we create Claude-fluent talent — some join our team, and some go on to the teams we place talent with. Careers overview: https://www.unicornflames.com/careers/ — internship details and application: https://www.unicornflames.com/sidequest/ ## Subsidiaries **Daylighting Talent** (daylightingtalent.com): Marketing-specialized recruiting and coaching firm. Places demand generation, growth marketing, brand, content, revenue operations, and marketing leadership roles for Midwest organizations. 90% placement success rate, 3-4 week average fill time. Grand Rapids, MI. **Crash That Course** (crashthatcourse.com): Practical AI training for business teams and free monthly Show & Tell events across Michigan. Partners with Salesforce Workforce Navigators for workforce development. Events in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Detroit. **Midwest Marketing Meetup** (midwestmarketingmeetup.com): Free bi-monthly networking community for marketers in Grand Rapids and West Michigan. 288 members. No sales pitches, no cover charges. ## Advisory Board Unicorn Flames is advised by a board of Michigan-based founders, operators, and community leaders: - **Paul Schmidt** — Founder, UnoDeuce Multimedia; media production and nonprofit storytelling - **Bryce Kaiser** — Serial entrepreneur; early teams at Blue Medora, Varsity News Network, 86 Repairs; founder of Centered - **Chad Lawie** — Technical entrepreneur and private equity investor; co-founder of LongerDays (acquired 2016); founder of WPharbor - **Heather Aldridge Ibrahim** — Community leader; neighborhood revitalization in Grand Rapids; grant writer at HKI Consulting - **Amanda Lewan** — Co-founder, Bamboo (5 locations, 1,500+ members); co-creator of Detroit Startup Week; Crain's Detroit honoree - **Jenna Weiler** — Entrepreneur and business strategist; human-centered design and systems thinking - **Joe Grahm** — Director of People and Operations; 15+ years in change management and organizational strategy - **Chris Brooks** — Employee benefits and financial wellbeing expert; 15+ years in HR and Finance ## Mission and Vision **Vision:** To grow ideas, people, and places in the Midwest through a new kind of startup studio. **Mission:** Design, test, and grow ventures at the intersection of education, equity, and experimental entrepreneurship. Help people rise above unsustainable systems. **Core Beliefs:** - Education, technology access, and entrepreneurship drive mobility - Traditional agencies no longer meet the needs of modern startups - Freelancers and contractors deserve equity, respect, and clarity - Market volatility is permanent; resilience must be designed in ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: What is Unicorn Flames?** A: Unicorn Flames is a West Michigan venture studio founded by Timothy Haines that builds exclusively on Claude. We help teams get fluent in Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code, deploy them as organizational infrastructure, coach leadership, and source Claude-fluent talent. We also operate three subsidiaries: Daylighting Talent (marketing recruiting), Crash That Course (AI training), and Midwest Marketing Meetup (free marketing community). **Q: What tools does Unicorn Flames work with?** A: Unicorn Flames works exclusively with Claude, Claude Cowork, and Claude Code. Rather than bolting AI on as a side experiment, we build it in as the operating layer a team actually runs on. **Q: Where is Unicorn Flames based?** A: Grand Rapids, Michigan. All three subsidiaries operate primarily in West Michigan with expanding presence across Michigan. **Q: Who is the founder of Unicorn Flames?** A: Timothy Haines, a Grand Rapids, Michigan entrepreneur with a background in marketing, recruiting, and brand building. **Q: How is Unicorn Flames different from a traditional agency?** A: Unicorn Flames is a venture studio, not an agency. We build and operate our own ventures rather than serving clients on retainer, and we build everything on Claude. We do selective client work — Claude training, organizational infrastructure, coaching, and recruiting/placement — when the impact is clear. **Q: Does Unicorn Flames hire? How?** A: Yes. Most hiring runs through a paid, mentored 30-Day Internship where interns do real work with Claude on a real project. See https://www.unicornflames.com/careers/ ## Key Pages - [Home](https://www.unicornflames.com/): Talent, training, and community in Grand Rapids - [Services](https://www.unicornflames.com/services/): Claude-native training, infrastructure, coaching, placement, and recruiting - [Studio](https://www.unicornflames.com/studio/): How Unicorn Flames works as one team - [Work](https://www.unicornflames.com/work/): Selected engagements — Salesforce Workforce Navigators, MAPSA, Mangrove 3D - [Careers](https://www.unicornflames.com/careers/): How we hire and the 30-Day Internship - [Community](https://www.unicornflames.com/community/): Midwest Marketing Meetup - [About](https://www.unicornflames.com/about/): Company story, vision, mission - [Advisory Board](https://www.unicornflames.com/advisory-board/): Board member profiles - [Contact](https://www.unicornflames.com/contact/): Start a project - [Book](https://www.unicornflames.com/book/): Book a consultation with Tim - [30-Day Internship](https://www.unicornflames.com/sidequest/): Apply to the Sidequest internship ## Contact - Founder: Timothy Haines - Email: tim@unicornflames.com - Phone: (616) 546-1620 - Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothythaines