"I think Unicorn Labs has been able to help guide our company in a direction to continue to move it forward when there was so much adversity and distractions and probably negativity around the business that probably should have forced us to fail."
Fundmore.ai operates in the mortgage lending technology space, providing back-office automation solutions that modernize lending processes for financial institutions.
CEO and Co-Founder, Chris Grimes was navigating Fundmore through a perfect storm—pivoting from services to SaaS during a pandemic, running a fully remote team with mostly fractional executives, and facing financial pressures that threatened the company despite its innovative mortgage automation platform.
As Chris describes it, they serve as "the plumbing" for lenders, delivering essential tools that streamline operations and increase efficiency.
What makes Fundmore's journey remarkable is their ability to compete in an industry dominated by well-funded entities. But in 2020, they hit a wall. COVID. A full pivot. A shift from service to SaaS. Overnight, the entire team went remote—and stayed that way.
As CEO Chris Grimes explains: "We were doing something more service oriented, and as a bunch of things changed, we pivoted to become a technology company...Coupled with 2020, we just went remote."
This shift fundamentally altered the company's trajectory and operational approach, requiring a complete reimagining of how the team collaborated, delivered value, and built client relationships. The pivot demanded not just a new business model but an entirely new organizational mindset, creating both opportunities and significant growing pains as team members adapted to their evolving roles in a digital-first environment.
What followed was years of volatility. They survived 2023 by the skin of their teeth. They endured significant financial strain and uncertainty for the team. Fighting to stay afloat, the company has operated with a lean headcount of approximately 30 people for much of its recent history, with leadership roles often filled by fractional executives working limited engagements.
Despite these challenges, Fundmore has managed to secure and successfully deliver on major client implementations that were critical to the company's survival. This resilience speaks to the underlying strength of their value proposition and the determination of their core team to persist through uncertainty and resource constraints.
Today? Fundmore is 50 people strong and profitable. They’re growing again. But it took a hard reset—and a fresh leadership model to help them achieve profitability, and position themselves for substantial EBITDA growth. The company has evolved its leadership structure by bringing on more full-time senior executives and has emerged from survival mode to focus on strategic growth.
Chris notes that "the company looks very different as of June versus where we are today. I mean, even today we're profitable now, but by June it's a step function larger in terms of EBITDA. And so it gives us a lot more flexibility to think about how we grow this company in the future."
This transformation sets the stage for Fundmore's next chapter of expansion and innovation in the financial technology sector, allowing them to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive strategic planning.
The dramatic turnaround represents not just financial stabilization but a fundamental shift in organizational confidence and capability.
When Invest Ottawa offered Fundmore a free Unicorn Labs session, Chris took the meeting—but with zero expectations.
"I was super skeptical…[...] I said, I'm doing this 'cause it's free and I have zero [expectations]...I've been in a lot of these types of sessions...and I always found the facilitators to be, frankly, not worth the money we spent on them."
Chris walked into the initial session doubtful. But he left ready to double down, saying: "It made sense to invest the cash… let's expand this over three days. Let's not make it a one-day, and let's get as much out of this as we can."
This transition from skepticism to enthusiastic buy-in demonstrates the tangible impact Unicorn Labs had on the Fundmore team from their very first interaction.
For a CEO who had watched many consultants fail to deliver real results, seeing actual value right away marked a major turning point. Chris' willingness to commit resources during a financially precarious period further underscores how compelling the initial engagement proved to be.
Fundmore's leadership structure wasn't just light—it was unstable. Most leaders were part-time or fractional. Amidst a combination of transition, managing various leadership styles, and a lack of clarity on some roles, the Fundmore leadership team exhibited some key symptoms that Unicorn Labs was well positioned to address:
One of the primary challenges facing Fundmore was the nature of their leadership team, which Chris repeatedly described as "fractional":
"If I was saying one word, it was fractional..and to be fair today, it's still fractional. But it's evolving because of the addition of people."
The company was operating with several part-time executives who each brought valuable experience but weren't fully integrated into day-to-day operations. They had experience in the room. But no rhythm. There was direction, but alignment was lacking.
These skilled leaders had great ideas but weren't around enough, which left projects stuck and full-time team members frustrated because they couldn't get the help and direction they needed to move forward.
The team was pulling in different directions and nobody was clear about who should do what:
"No alignment across the board. And so we brought everyone into this session because it was the first time to actually do that."
For over a year, the company was just trying to stay alive, which meant they couldn't focus on scaling:
"...It was super stressful for a year because [the leadership team] didn't know where everything was going...it can't always be about ‘are we going to survive or not?’...that was the focus of the business for basically a year, which hurts growth."
This perpetual crisis mentality created a leadership team focused predominantly on short-term survival rather than long-term vision. Strategic initiatives were constantly being deprioritized in favor of immediate revenue opportunities, creating a reactive culture where planning beyond the next month or quarter seemed like a luxury the company couldn't afford. Team members began to experience burnout from the constant pivoting and reprioritization without a clear sense of whether their efforts were moving the company forward in any sustainable way.
Unicorn Labs didn't just offer a workshop—it gave the team a reset. What came next reshaped the direction of the company.
That first offsite wasn’t just a workshop. It was a mirror. For the first time, every leader—fractional, full-time, skeptical, hopeful—sat in one room.
What followed was a series of revealing moments, the most powerful being a role-based reflection activity.
Each leader was asked to describe their responsibilities and where they saw themselves within the company.
Chris's reflection on that moment:
"I think the exercise we ran on understanding what people are doing...it was a role-based exercise... And how they saw themselves in the company and where they saw themselves going in the company was super eye-opening... it was that exercise that really cemented some of the changes that took place after that session."
"It really showed the lack of alignment… some people had no idea what the strategy or plan was."
That moment crystallized the team's challenges. By the end of the session, the following changes were made:
"...[that] probably gave the company the ability to survive another year."
This moment of collective realization represented a turning point for the organization. Seeing the misalignments laid bare created an urgency that had been missing—suddenly, the cost of continuing with unclear roles and responsibilities was made tangible. Team members recognized how their fragmented understanding of responsibilities was creating unnecessary friction and duplication of efforts, while other critical areas were falling through the cracks entirely.
"I would wholeheartedly recommend that [any CEO] do this...having somebody that can spend some time with you outside the business can help you make the right decisions."
Fundmore's leadership team was filled with high performers. But many had strong opinions and decades of experience—often in very different industries.
That kind of brainpower is influential, but without structure, it can derail progress.
Fahd's strength was in managing these strong personalities. He didn't dominate the room, but he never lost control of it either. Even when discussions veered off-course, he gently steered them back to the objective.
There were missteps too. One metrics-focused session turned into four hours of unproductive debate. But even that revealed how much the team still needed to align on fundamentals. Through it all, Chris recognized Fahd's ability to keep the sessions productive:
"[Fahd's] ability to keep us on track...made me want to take that second session."
Through it all, the team started to trust the process—and each other.
The offsite wasn't just a team-building exercise—it was a reset – an inflection point. The entire experience helped Fundmore turn reflection into action.
This skillful facilitation was particularly valuable in a team composed of industry veterans who were accustomed to being the most experienced voice in the room. By creating space for all perspectives while maintaining focus on outcomes, the sessions transformed potential conflict into constructive tension. Team members began to see how their diverse backgrounds could complement rather than compete with each other, creating a more integrated approach to problem-solving that leveraged their collective expertise.
That level of change required more than one good session. It required consistency, accountability, and coaching. And that's exactly what came next.
As an evolution to the strategic planning workshop sessions, Chris extended the work with Fahd to include one-on-one executive coaching support for himself and other members of the Fundmore team.
Fahd became a trusted sounding board that was leveraged to uncover the immense potential of Chris and his Chief of Staff.
"I've seen the direct improvements and maturity…even in how [Chief of Staff] approaches the day-to-day."
The coaching sessions with Fahd helped translate abstract goals into concrete behavior changes. It gave Chris someone to share the burden of leadership with, and provided his Chief of Staff a roadmap for stepping into a more strategic role.
This ripple effect of the Unicorn Labs strategic planning and one-on-one coaching sessions started to show in team meetings, decision-making, and execution.
The ongoing nature of the coaching relationship created accountability that one-off workshops rarely achieve.
The one-on-one coaching sessions created alignment that cascaded throughout the organization. Team members began to notice a new consistency in messaging and priorities from leadership, which in turn created greater confidence in the company's direction.
The coaching relationship also provided a safe space for processing challenges before they became company-wide issues, allowing for more thoughtful and measured responses to obstacles.
Fundmore emerged with a clearer structure, a stronger team, and a more confident CEO. But the story doesn't end there—it points to something more lasting.
By mid-2024, Fundmore had grown from 30 to 50 people, stabilized its finances, and entered profitability. More importantly, it had reestablished trust, rhythm, and strategic direction across the leadership team.
Several positive impacts to the Fundmore business as a result of partnering with Unicorn Labs included:
Chris credits Unicorn Labs not just for tactical wins, but for providing the space and structure to lead again.
"I won't continue this business without a coach along the way."
"Unicorn Labs helped guide our company forward when there was so much adversity…that probably should have forced us to fail."
Leadership is lonely—especially in crisis. But now Chris no longer feels like he's carrying it alone.
This transformation represents more than just better business metrics—it signifies a fundamental shift in how the company operates. With a clearer understanding of roles and responsibilities, team members can now focus on execution rather than constantly renegotiating their place in the organization.
The strategic direction provides a framework for evaluating opportunities rather than chasing every potential revenue source, creating more sustainable growth patterns that build on the company's core strengths rather than diluting them.
The Fundmore and Unicorn Labs partnership exemplifies how the right strategic intervention can transform not just business outcomes but the entire trajectory of a technology startup.
What began as a skeptical acceptance of a free workshop evolved into a fundamental reimagining of leadership structure, strategic focus, and organizational culture. For tech startups facing similar challenges of fractional leadership, unclear direction, or the transition from survival mode to strategic growth, the Fundmore story offers a compelling blueprint.
Through Unicorn Labs' unique combination of structured facilitation, honest feedback, and personalized coaching, Fundmore found not just tactical improvements but a sustainable path forward. This case study demonstrates that even companies on the brink of failure can achieve remarkable turnarounds when provided with the right combination of external perspective, leadership development, and strategic clarity that addresses both immediate business needs and long-term organizational health.
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Evolving from a reticent participant to a supporter of executive coaching, CEO Chris Grimes summed up the value gained from his Unicorn Labs experience:
"I think Unicorn Labs has been able to help guide our company in a direction to continue to move it forward – when there was so much adversity and distractions and probably negativity around the business that probably should have forced us to fail. But I think having them at the table has given us help to shine the light in the right direction."
And if resetting your company's growth trajectory is a near-term goal, Chris has this advice to other CEO’s of growing companies when it comes to considering Unicorn Labs:
"I would wholeheartedly recommend that they do this...some things you just can't share with other people. And so it often falls on your shoulders to deal with things...So having someone else that you can also rely on and share with and get their feedback—even if it's just a sounding board to say 'Yeah, that makes sense'—is super valuable."
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"I think Unicorn Labs has been able to help guide our company in a direction to continue to move it forward when there was so much adversity and distractions and probably negativity around the business that probably should have forced us to fail."
Fundmore.ai operates in the mortgage lending technology space, providing back-office automation solutions that modernize lending processes for financial institutions.
CEO and Co-Founder, Chris Grimes was navigating Fundmore through a perfect storm—pivoting from services to SaaS during a pandemic, running a fully remote team with mostly fractional executives, and facing financial pressures that threatened the company despite its innovative mortgage automation platform.
As Chris describes it, they serve as "the plumbing" for lenders, delivering essential tools that streamline operations and increase efficiency.
What makes Fundmore's journey remarkable is their ability to compete in an industry dominated by well-funded entities. But in 2020, they hit a wall. COVID. A full pivot. A shift from service to SaaS. Overnight, the entire team went remote—and stayed that way.
As CEO Chris Grimes explains: "We were doing something more service oriented, and as a bunch of things changed, we pivoted to become a technology company...Coupled with 2020, we just went remote."
This shift fundamentally altered the company's trajectory and operational approach, requiring a complete reimagining of how the team collaborated, delivered value, and built client relationships. The pivot demanded not just a new business model but an entirely new organizational mindset, creating both opportunities and significant growing pains as team members adapted to their evolving roles in a digital-first environment.
What followed was years of volatility. They survived 2023 by the skin of their teeth. They endured significant financial strain and uncertainty for the team. Fighting to stay afloat, the company has operated with a lean headcount of approximately 30 people for much of its recent history, with leadership roles often filled by fractional executives working limited engagements.
Despite these challenges, Fundmore has managed to secure and successfully deliver on major client implementations that were critical to the company's survival. This resilience speaks to the underlying strength of their value proposition and the determination of their core team to persist through uncertainty and resource constraints.
Today? Fundmore is 50 people strong and profitable. They’re growing again. But it took a hard reset—and a fresh leadership model to help them achieve profitability, and position themselves for substantial EBITDA growth. The company has evolved its leadership structure by bringing on more full-time senior executives and has emerged from survival mode to focus on strategic growth.
Chris notes that "the company looks very different as of June versus where we are today. I mean, even today we're profitable now, but by June it's a step function larger in terms of EBITDA. And so it gives us a lot more flexibility to think about how we grow this company in the future."
This transformation sets the stage for Fundmore's next chapter of expansion and innovation in the financial technology sector, allowing them to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive strategic planning.
The dramatic turnaround represents not just financial stabilization but a fundamental shift in organizational confidence and capability.
When Invest Ottawa offered Fundmore a free Unicorn Labs session, Chris took the meeting—but with zero expectations.
"I was super skeptical…[...] I said, I'm doing this 'cause it's free and I have zero [expectations]...I've been in a lot of these types of sessions...and I always found the facilitators to be, frankly, not worth the money we spent on them."
Chris walked into the initial session doubtful. But he left ready to double down, saying: "It made sense to invest the cash… let's expand this over three days. Let's not make it a one-day, and let's get as much out of this as we can."
This transition from skepticism to enthusiastic buy-in demonstrates the tangible impact Unicorn Labs had on the Fundmore team from their very first interaction.
For a CEO who had watched many consultants fail to deliver real results, seeing actual value right away marked a major turning point. Chris' willingness to commit resources during a financially precarious period further underscores how compelling the initial engagement proved to be.
Fundmore's leadership structure wasn't just light—it was unstable. Most leaders were part-time or fractional. Amidst a combination of transition, managing various leadership styles, and a lack of clarity on some roles, the Fundmore leadership team exhibited some key symptoms that Unicorn Labs was well positioned to address:
One of the primary challenges facing Fundmore was the nature of their leadership team, which Chris repeatedly described as "fractional":
"If I was saying one word, it was fractional..and to be fair today, it's still fractional. But it's evolving because of the addition of people."
The company was operating with several part-time executives who each brought valuable experience but weren't fully integrated into day-to-day operations. They had experience in the room. But no rhythm. There was direction, but alignment was lacking.
These skilled leaders had great ideas but weren't around enough, which left projects stuck and full-time team members frustrated because they couldn't get the help and direction they needed to move forward.
The team was pulling in different directions and nobody was clear about who should do what:
"No alignment across the board. And so we brought everyone into this session because it was the first time to actually do that."
For over a year, the company was just trying to stay alive, which meant they couldn't focus on scaling:
"...It was super stressful for a year because [the leadership team] didn't know where everything was going...it can't always be about ‘are we going to survive or not?’...that was the focus of the business for basically a year, which hurts growth."
This perpetual crisis mentality created a leadership team focused predominantly on short-term survival rather than long-term vision. Strategic initiatives were constantly being deprioritized in favor of immediate revenue opportunities, creating a reactive culture where planning beyond the next month or quarter seemed like a luxury the company couldn't afford. Team members began to experience burnout from the constant pivoting and reprioritization without a clear sense of whether their efforts were moving the company forward in any sustainable way.
Unicorn Labs didn't just offer a workshop—it gave the team a reset. What came next reshaped the direction of the company.
That first offsite wasn’t just a workshop. It was a mirror. For the first time, every leader—fractional, full-time, skeptical, hopeful—sat in one room.
What followed was a series of revealing moments, the most powerful being a role-based reflection activity.
Each leader was asked to describe their responsibilities and where they saw themselves within the company.
Chris's reflection on that moment:
"I think the exercise we ran on understanding what people are doing...it was a role-based exercise... And how they saw themselves in the company and where they saw themselves going in the company was super eye-opening... it was that exercise that really cemented some of the changes that took place after that session."
"It really showed the lack of alignment… some people had no idea what the strategy or plan was."
That moment crystallized the team's challenges. By the end of the session, the following changes were made:
"...[that] probably gave the company the ability to survive another year."
This moment of collective realization represented a turning point for the organization. Seeing the misalignments laid bare created an urgency that had been missing—suddenly, the cost of continuing with unclear roles and responsibilities was made tangible. Team members recognized how their fragmented understanding of responsibilities was creating unnecessary friction and duplication of efforts, while other critical areas were falling through the cracks entirely.
Fundmore's leadership team was filled with high performers. But many had strong opinions and decades of experience—often in very different industries.
That kind of brainpower is influential, but without structure, it can derail progress.
Fahd's strength was in managing these strong personalities. He didn't dominate the room, but he never lost control of it either. Even when discussions veered off-course, he gently steered them back to the objective.
There were missteps too. One metrics-focused session turned into four hours of unproductive debate. But even that revealed how much the team still needed to align on fundamentals. Through it all, Chris recognized Fahd's ability to keep the sessions productive:
"[Fahd's] ability to keep us on track...made me want to take that second session."
Through it all, the team started to trust the process—and each other.
The offsite wasn't just a team-building exercise—it was a reset – an inflection point. The entire experience helped Fundmore turn reflection into action.
This skillful facilitation was particularly valuable in a team composed of industry veterans who were accustomed to being the most experienced voice in the room. By creating space for all perspectives while maintaining focus on outcomes, the sessions transformed potential conflict into constructive tension. Team members began to see how their diverse backgrounds could complement rather than compete with each other, creating a more integrated approach to problem-solving that leveraged their collective expertise.
That level of change required more than one good session. It required consistency, accountability, and coaching. And that's exactly what came next.
As an evolution to the strategic planning workshop sessions, Chris extended the work with Fahd to include one-on-one executive coaching support for himself and other members of the Fundmore team.
Fahd became a trusted sounding board that was leveraged to uncover the immense potential of Chris and his Chief of Staff.
"I've seen the direct improvements and maturity…even in how [Chief of Staff] approaches the day-to-day."
The coaching sessions with Fahd helped translate abstract goals into concrete behavior changes. It gave Chris someone to share the burden of leadership with, and provided his Chief of Staff a roadmap for stepping into a more strategic role.
This ripple effect of the Unicorn Labs strategic planning and one-on-one coaching sessions started to show in team meetings, decision-making, and execution.
The ongoing nature of the coaching relationship created accountability that one-off workshops rarely achieve.
The one-on-one coaching sessions created alignment that cascaded throughout the organization. Team members began to notice a new consistency in messaging and priorities from leadership, which in turn created greater confidence in the company's direction.
The coaching relationship also provided a safe space for processing challenges before they became company-wide issues, allowing for more thoughtful and measured responses to obstacles.
