Need to recharge your batteries and refresh your creativity with a post-holidays startup retreat? Well, the Blue House – located in the Moroccan fishing village Tamraght – may be just the thing for you.
Disrupt Africa reported earlier this year on the Blue House, which piloted a startup providing entrepreneurs with rooms, food, laundry services, high-speed internet, transport and discounted sport offerings. Startups are free to work on their projects with no distractions. Well, apart from surfing.
The Blue House’s mission statement is thus: “We believe people do a better job when they’re happy and feel good. We believe people are more creative when their environment is stimulating. We believe people take better decisions when they’re relaxed. We believe people have outstanding ideas when they get out of their comfort zone and discover new things.”
During the trial phase, half a dozen startups from Sweden, France,the Netherlands, the UK and the US joined the Blue House community to work on their startups; with the pilot deemed a success.
Founder Aline Mayard subsequently launched a crowdfunding campaign to get the concept fully off the ground, and the Blue House is now offering startups the chance to sign up for a number of courses in the new year, at special rates.
“This January and February, meet inspiring startup folks, get a tan, start the year afresh, review your plans, try healthier work styles,” the Blue House said.
Startups are invited to sign up for one of three 10-day residency programmes, a four-day mindfulness programme, a four-day recharge creativity programme, and a four-day ready to be an entrepreneur programme.
Mayard told Disrupt Africa it had always been the plan to scale up the Blue House after the successful pilot.
“The reason is simple: startups want different things. Not everyone wants to or can come for 10 days; for some people it’s more interesting to take a real no-computer weekend off,” she said.
