Helping Startups Hire Better
Haven Talent is a boutique recruiting practice built for founders who care about who they hire. We specialize in connecting early-stage startups with smart, mission-driven engineers and designers, while guiding candidates to opportunities where they can grow and make an impact. NYC is our home, and great recruiting is our craft.
Haven Talent is a boutique recruiting practice built for founders who care about who they hire. We specialize in connecting early-stage startups with smart, mission-driven engineers and designers, while guiding candidates to opportunities where they can grow and make an impact. NYC is our home, and great recruiting is our craft.
Meet Rotimi
I run Haven Talent, a boutique recruiting practice focused on helping early-stage startups make high-leverage hires. With 10+ years of experience in tech recruiting, I’ve placed engineers, designers, and product managers at companies like Medium, Persona, Reflex, and Miter.
Lately, my focus has been helping New York-based startups find top-tier full-stack and frontend-leaning engineers—but I’ve also led successful searches for Principal Designers, Enterprise CSMs, and more. I keep things simple, personal, and efficient. No fluff. Just great matches.
If you’re a candidate, expect a thoughtful partner who takes the time to understand your unique skills, ambitions, and culture fit. Whether you’re a full-stack developer exploring new challenges or a Principal Designer looking for the perfect role, I’ll surface opportunities that ignite your growth. No spam, no irrelevant outreach, just positions that truly matter to your career path.
Rotimi
Transparent Process
Culture First
Startup Insiders
Data-Backed Picks
Rapid Turnaround
Start-up Focused
Hiring Services
Services
Services
Services
Recruitment services built to scale your startup and elevate your career.
Full-Cycle Recruiting
Market Mapping
Sourcing
Strategic Outreach
Candidate Excellence
End-to-End Recruiting
We manage your entire hiring lifecycle, from crafting role profiles and outreach to offer acceptance, so you never have to juggle multiple vendors. Our turnkey process frees you to focus on building your business, not sorting through resumes.
End-to-End Recruiting
We manage your entire hiring lifecycle, from crafting role profiles and outreach to offer acceptance, so you never have to juggle multiple vendors. Our turnkey process frees you to focus on building your business, not sorting through resumes.
White-glove Candidate Care
Every candidate enjoys a concierge-style experience, with transparent communication, timely feedback, and personalized guidance at every step. This approach not only keeps top talent engaged but also reinforces your employer brand.
White-glove Candidate Care
Every candidate enjoys a concierge-style experience, with transparent communication, timely feedback, and personalized guidance at every step. This approach not only keeps top talent engaged but also reinforces your employer brand.
Strategic Talent Sourcing
Using a blend of proprietary data insights and targeted outreach, we uncover both active and passive candidates who match your needs. Our market maps and competitor analyses ensure you’re always tapping into the deepest pools of talent.
Strategic Talent Sourcing
Using a blend of proprietary data insights and targeted outreach, we uncover both active and passive candidates who match your needs. Our market maps and competitor analyses ensure you’re always tapping into the deepest pools of talent.
Offer Strategy & Onboarding
From crafting competitive packages to coaching hiring managers through negotiation, we help you close the deal with confidence. Once the offer’s accepted, we streamline the hand-off so new hires hit the ground running.
Offer Strategy & Onboarding
From crafting competitive packages to coaching hiring managers through negotiation, we help you close the deal with confidence. Once the offer’s accepted, we streamline the hand-off so new hires hit the ground running.
Reviews
Testimonials
Real feedback from clients and candidates that trusted my expertise.
Jeremy Borthwick
Principal Product Designer @ Medium
Candidate
“Working with Rotimi was hands down the best recruiting experience I’ve had. He wasn’t just trying to get me into a role—he was genuinely invested in making sure it was the right fit on both sides. He gave great context about the team and culture at Medium, helped me prepare thoughtfully for each step, and kept the process smooth from start to finish. I felt supported, informed, and respected the entire way.”
5.0
Megan Conlon
Head of TA @ Miter
Client
'We had an exceptional experience working with Rotimi as we navigated a critical hire for our startup. From the beginning, Rotimi demonstrated a collaborative and proactive approach, truly understanding the unique needs and culture of our organization. Rotimi not only helped us identify a top-notch software engineer who aligns perfectly with our mission and values but also played a key role in securing and closing the candidate.'
5.0
Valerie Kosiadi
Enterprise CSM @ Persona
Candidate
“The CSM search process can be vague and long—but Rotimi made it clear, focused, and personal. He took time to learn about what I actually wanted in a role and helped align that with a company that shares my values. I never felt like just another resume in a stack. He checked in regularly, prepped me at every stage, and genuinely wanted the best outcome for everyone. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”
5.0
Jared Weinstein
Full Stack Engineer @ Miter
Candidate
“Rotimi was a total pro. From the first message, he made it easy to see why the opportunity at Miter was special. He had real insight into the company, helped me navigate the process without pressure, and made sure every step felt clear and aligned. I’ve talked to a lot of recruiters, but Rotimi stood out for his honesty and the care he put into making the match right.”
5.0
Mohamed Otefi
Software Engineer @ Reflex
Candidate
“Rotimi reached out with a role that ended up being a perfect match, and from the first conversation, it was clear he understood both the technical side of engineering and what makes a good team fit. He didn’t over-sell, and I appreciated how transparent and grounded he was throughout. He kept things moving, gave solid feedback, and advocated for me in a way that felt real. Super grateful we connected.”
5.0
Natalie Disraeli
Head of TA @ Persona
Client
"We had been struggling for months to find a Customer Success Manager who could balance technical depth with empathy and communication. Rotimi brought a rare mix of hustle and thoughtfulness to the search, surfacing candidates we hadn’t seen through traditional channels. He helped us land a hire who’s now one of the most trusted people on our team. It was a difficult role to fill, and he nailed it."
5.0
Cassie McDaniel
Head of Design @ Medium
Client
"Rotimi has been an incredible partner to Medium’s recruiting team. He stepped in during a high-stakes hiring sprint and quickly became essential in helping us close a Principal Designer, a notoriously tough role. What stood out was his ability to understand the nuances of our brand and culture, source aligned candidates, and guide them through the funnel with clarity and care. His work not only filled key gaps on our team but raised the bar for how we approach hiring."
5.0
Alek Petuskey
Co-Founder of Reflex
Client
"Finding engineers who thrive in fast-paced startup environments is never easy, but Rotimi delivered. He led our search for a full-stack engineer and presented only a handful of candidates, all top-tier. He was efficient, honest, and strategic, which saved us a ton of time. The engineer we hired has been a force multiplier for our team, and we owe a lot of that to Rotimi’s work."
5.0
Jeremy Borthwick
Principal Product Designer @ Medium
Candidate
“Working with Rotimi was hands down the best recruiting experience I’ve had. He wasn’t just trying to get me into a role—he was genuinely invested in making sure it was the right fit on both sides. He gave great context about the team and culture at Medium, helped me prepare thoughtfully for each step, and kept the process smooth from start to finish. I felt supported, informed, and respected the entire way.”
5.0Megan Conlon
Head of TA @ Mitler
Client
'We had an exceptional experience working with Rotimi as we navigated a critical hire for our startup. From the beginning, Rotimi demonstrated a collaborative and proactive approach, truly understanding the unique needs and culture of our organization. Rotimi not only helped us identify a top-notch software engineer who aligns perfectly with our mission and values but also played a key role in securing and closing the candidate.'
5.0Mohamed Otefi
Software Engineer @ Reflex
Candidate
“Rotimi reached out with a role that ended up being a perfect match, and from the first conversation, it was clear he understood both the technical side of engineering and what makes a good team fit. He didn’t over-sell, and I appreciated how transparent and grounded he was throughout. He kept things moving, gave solid feedback, and advocated for me in a way that felt real. Super grateful we connected.”
5.0Cassie McDaniel
Head of Design @ Medium
Client
"Rotimi has been an incredible partner to Medium’s recruiting team. He stepped in during a high-stakes hiring sprint and quickly became essential in helping us close a Principal Designer, a notoriously tough role. What stood out was his ability to understand the nuances of our brand and culture, source aligned candidates, and guide them through the funnel with clarity and care. His work not only filled key gaps on our team but raised the bar for how we approach hiring."
5.0Valerie Kosiadi
Enterprise CSM @ Persona
Candidate
“The CSM search process can be vague and long—but Rotimi made it clear, focused, and personal. He took time to learn about what I actually wanted in a role and helped align that with a company that shares my values. I never felt like just another resume in a stack. He checked in regularly, prepped me at every stage, and genuinely wanted the best outcome for everyone. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”
5.0Natalie Disraeli
Head of TA @ Persona
Client
"We had been struggling for months to find a Customer Success Manager who could balance technical depth with empathy and communication. Rotimi brought a rare mix of hustle and thoughtfulness to the search, surfacing candidates we hadn’t seen through traditional channels. He helped us land a hire who’s now one of the most trusted people on our team. It was a difficult role to fill, and he nailed it."
5.0Jared Weinstein
Full Stack Engineer @ Miter
Candidate
“Rotimi was a total pro. From the first message, he made it easy to see why the opportunity at Miter was special. He had real insight into the company, helped me navigate the process without pressure, and made sure every step felt clear and aligned. I’ve talked to a lot of recruiters, but Rotimi stood out for his honesty and the care he put into making the match right.”
5.0Alek Petuskey
Co-Founder of Reflex
Client
"Finding engineers who thrive in fast-paced startup environments is never easy, but Rotimi delivered. He led our search for a full-stack engineer and presented only a handful of candidates, all top-tier. He was efficient, honest, and strategic, which saved us a ton of time. The engineer we hired has been a force multiplier for our team, and we owe a lot of that to Rotimi’s work."
5.0
Jeremy Borthwick
Principal Product Designer @ Medium
Candidate
“Working with Rotimi was hands down the best recruiting experience I’ve had. He wasn’t just trying to get me into a role—he was genuinely invested in making sure it was the right fit on both sides. He gave great context about the team and culture at Medium, helped me prepare thoughtfully for each step, and kept the process smooth from start to finish. I felt supported, informed, and respected the entire way.”
5.0Megan Conlon
Head of TA @ Mitler
Client
'We had an exceptional experience working with Rotimi as we navigated a critical hire for our startup. From the beginning, Rotimi demonstrated a collaborative and proactive approach, truly understanding the unique needs and culture of our organization. Rotimi not only helped us identify a top-notch software engineer who aligns perfectly with our mission and values but also played a key role in securing and closing the candidate.'
5.0Mohamed Otefi
Software Engineer @ Reflex
Candidate
“Rotimi reached out with a role that ended up being a perfect match, and from the first conversation, it was clear he understood both the technical side of engineering and what makes a good team fit. He didn’t over-sell, and I appreciated how transparent and grounded he was throughout. He kept things moving, gave solid feedback, and advocated for me in a way that felt real. Super grateful we connected.”
5.0Cassie McDaniel
Head of Design @ Medium
Client
"Rotimi has been an incredible partner to Medium’s recruiting team. He stepped in during a high-stakes hiring sprint and quickly became essential in helping us close a Principal Designer, a notoriously tough role. What stood out was his ability to understand the nuances of our brand and culture, source aligned candidates, and guide them through the funnel with clarity and care. His work not only filled key gaps on our team but raised the bar for how we approach hiring."
5.0Valerie Kosiadi
Enterprise CSM @ Persona
Candidate
“The CSM search process can be vague and long—but Rotimi made it clear, focused, and personal. He took time to learn about what I actually wanted in a role and helped align that with a company that shares my values. I never felt like just another resume in a stack. He checked in regularly, prepped me at every stage, and genuinely wanted the best outcome for everyone. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner.”
5.0Natalie Disraeli
Head of TA @ Persona
Client
"We had been struggling for months to find a Customer Success Manager who could balance technical depth with empathy and communication. Rotimi brought a rare mix of hustle and thoughtfulness to the search, surfacing candidates we hadn’t seen through traditional channels. He helped us land a hire who’s now one of the most trusted people on our team. It was a difficult role to fill, and he nailed it."
5.0Jared Weinstein
Full Stack Engineer @ Miter
Candidate
“Rotimi was a total pro. From the first message, he made it easy to see why the opportunity at Miter was special. He had real insight into the company, helped me navigate the process without pressure, and made sure every step felt clear and aligned. I’ve talked to a lot of recruiters, but Rotimi stood out for his honesty and the care he put into making the match right.”
5.0Alek Petuskey
Co-Founder of Reflex
Client
"Finding engineers who thrive in fast-paced startup environments is never easy, but Rotimi delivered. He led our search for a full-stack engineer and presented only a handful of candidates, all top-tier. He was efficient, honest, and strategic, which saved us a ton of time. The engineer we hired has been a force multiplier for our team, and we owe a lot of that to Rotimi’s work."
5.0
FAQ'S
Answers
Find answers to common questions about my work and company
What kinds of companies do you work with?
Mostly early-stage startups—typically Series A to C—who need help with foundational hiring. I work best with small, focused teams who care about quality over volume.
What roles do you specialize in?
Where are your candidates based?
Do you work on contingency or retainer?
What makes you different from other recruiters?
What kinds of companies do you work with?
Mostly early-stage startups—typically Series A to C—who need help with foundational hiring. I work best with small, focused teams who care about quality over volume.
What roles do you specialize in?
Where are your candidates based?
Do you work on contingency or retainer?
What makes you different from other recruiters?