Circolo

Circolo Presents · Calma 2222

Step away
long enough to return.

Cal · Ma / Noun / Stillness, Presence

Eleven founders. Five days. One Villa.
18th – 22nd August 2026 · Ubud, Bali

By application only11 founders · 5 days18th – 22nd Aug 2026Ubud, Bali
Misty jungle valley at dawn with a minimalist stone infinity pool

II · A Letter

Dear Visionaries,

You move fast. You build things the world hasn't seen before. You make decisions that shape markets, teams, and futures.

But there is a truth we rarely say out loud, the faster you run, the harder it becomes to think clearly.

Calma was created for founders and funders who are constantly building, solving, and deciding. It is not about slowing down for the sake of it. It is about creating the space required to return sharper, calmer, and more deliberate.

— Circolo

Tropical temple at dawn

III · Calma

"The moment between breaths where clarity emerges."

Cal · Ma / Noun / Stillness, Presence

A universal word for what high-performers rarely give themselves permission to feel. Not absence of drive but rather the ground it grows from.

Stillness · Clarity · Acceleration

IV · Why Calma

There's a pace at which clarity becomes impossible.

Most founders know this feeling even if they rarely name it. The decisions keep coming, the momentum builds and somewhere between the growth and the pressure and the responsibility of it all, the space to think clearly quietly disappears.

It isn't a failure. It's simply what sustained acceleration does to any high-performing system. The body and mind are no different from any other engine: they need to be brought in, recalibrated, and sent back out as the very thing that makes the next level of performance possible.

Calma creates that space.

Five days away from the redline, in the company of eleven people who understand what it takes to build something real. The space to map what's next from stillness, rather than momentum.

This is what Calma is for and it may be the most important five days of your year.

Founders gathering in a calm circular setting

V · A Curated Micro Cohort

18th – 22nd August 2026 · Ubud, Bali

A private gathering for builders. We curate rooms with the right people, in the right places, at the right time.

11
Seats
05
Days

Eleven participants. Nothing more.

VI · What Makes Calma Different

Designed for Those Already at the Top.

I

Designed around the whole person.

Every element from the conversations held in the morning to the cold plunge taken in quiet is shaped with one intention: to help you step out of autopilot and return to yourself.

II

A room of eleven.

When a room is this small and this carefully considered, something shifts. Guards come down, conversations find their way to places they rarely do in larger, louder gatherings. What gets said here tends to stay with people for years.

III

Honest exchange, not curated performance.

The sessions at Calma are conversations between people who have built things, navigated hard seasons, and arrived at their own hard-won truths. What you'll find is candour and the particular relief that comes from finally being in a room where it's safe to speak plainly.

IV

A rhythm that restores.

Days at Calma move through different registers — adventure, reflection, deep conversation, stillness woven together so that each one prepares you for the next.

VII · The Location

A sanctuary built for exactly
this kind of reset.

Minimalist stone infinity pool at dawn surrounded by tropical foliageSoft stone path through misty tropical jungle at sunriseOpen-air timber pavilion with linen drapes among palmsStacked stones and a small ceramic bowl on a wooden deckWarm wooden sauna interior lit by a single candleTwo clay teacups and a kettle on natural linen

Ubud, Bali

Full venue revealed upon confirmation

VIII · Gallery

Calma 2025

A glimpse from last year's room.

Calma participants gathered together during an evening event
Participants in conversation by the villa pool during a daytime session
A guided group circle inside the villa during a past Circolo room
Quiet conversations unfolding near the loungers and recovery area
Atmospheric dinner setting from a previous Circolo room
Night view of the pool and tropical garden during a past retreat

IX · The Circle

Who should apply?

Entrepreneurs and funders seeking to reset and recharge.

Leaders curious about balancing performance with well-being.

Growth-oriented individuals who value honest conversations and meaningful connections.

For those who understand that sometimes the best way to move forward is to pause.

X · Hosts

Who holds the room

The room is only as good as
those who hold it.

Portrait of Trent Barnes

Trent Barnes

General Partner — Primal Capital

Over years of working closely with founders, Trent kept arriving at the same conclusion: the limiting factor is rarely the business, it's the human running it. He's a general partner at Primal Capital, an alternative-assets manager backing founders from early to growth stage, and a co-founder of digital-asset trading firm Zerocap.

Alongside his investing runs a parallel discipline that's shaped him just as deeply: for over thirteen years he's worked with founders, athletes, and performers, from one-on-one sessions to large workshops, on clarity, decision-making, self-mastery, and how they hold up under pressure.

A certified NLP and Ericksonian hypnosis practitioner, grounded in stoic philosophy and shaped by extreme sports and performance psychology, he calls the practice human acceleration: upgrading and optimising the human operating system.

Portrait of Cristina Ventura

Cristina Ventura

Founder — Ventura X Ventures

Cristina Ventura is an investor, board advisor, mentor, and global ecosystem builder with deep expertise across luxury, technology, innovation, and investment. As General Partner at White Star Capital, a global technology investment platform with $1.5B in AUM, she works closely with founders, family offices, institutional investors, and strategic partners globally. Through Ventura X Ventures, she personally invests in more than 30 companies and multiple funds.

Her leadership journey spans some of the world's most respected organizations, including Prada Group's Hong Kong IPO, led Apple's expansion in Hong Kong and South China while building a team of more than 1,500 professionals, and later drove innovation, investment, and strategic partnerships across Asia's leading luxury lifestyle ecosystem Family Business.

A passionate advocate for leadership, lifelong learning, and value creation, Cristina is Alumni of Harvard Business School, Stanford, MIT, IESE GEMBA, CEIBS, INSEAD, and Kauffman Fellows. Multiple case studies based on her leadership journey have been published by HBS and IESE. Today, she mentors founders, CEOs, family offices, and next-generation leaders globally, guided by her mission to connect human capital, catalyse growth, and create value for future generations.

Portrait of Alvaro Daza

Alvaro Daza

CEO — Circolo.life

Alvaro Daza is a global experiential architect and founder of Circolo.life. His work sits at the intersection of architecture, hospitality, cultural strategy, and frontier innovation — designing experiences and environments that create influence, trust, and measurable business momentum.

Known for entering high-stakes situations where vision is strong but execution is fragmented, Alv architects the full system: narrative, stakeholder alignment, spatial design, and strategic continuity.

XI · Inclusions

Arrive. Immerse.

Everything else is taken care of.

01

Four nights and five days of accommodation in a private room

02

Airport transfers, on arrival and departure

03

All meals, refreshments, and ceremonies

04

Founder-led sessions and printed materials

05

Post-retreat summary and contact list

XII · What Participants Gain

Sharper. Calmer. More deliberate.

01

Mental clarity and renewed energy

Space to reset and think clearly about both life and business.

02

Practical insights from experienced founders

Honest conversations that move beyond theory into what truly works.

03

Meaningful relationships

Connections built in an environment of trust and openness — eleven people who get it.

04

Personal commitments

Clear next steps to lead and build with greater intention.

The Process

Members-only. By invitation.

Spots are limited and curated. Register your interest now — we'll be in touch on 18 July to confirm your place and reveal the full experience, including the venue.

01

Register interest

Submit a short application. Reviewed personally by the Circolo team.

02

Confirmation · 18 July

We'll confirm your seat and walk you through next steps.

03

Full details revealed

Venue, itinerary, and the rest of the room shared with confirmed members.

Calma is intentionally designed for a specific group size to create the depth of connection and experience we envision. Should we need to make any scheduling adjustments to maintain this format, our team will be in touch personally.

XIII · The Investment

18th – 22nd August 2026 · Ubud, Bali

USD 2,222

Per seat · all-inclusive

Accommodation, all meals, sessions, transfers, and activities. Flight in not included.

By application. Reviewed personally by the Circolo team. Confirmations sent 18 July 2026; payment requested only after acceptance.

Limited to 11 seats · 2026 cohort · 18th – 22nd Aug 2026

Calma is intentionally designed for a specific group size to create the depth of connection and experience we envision. Should we need to make any scheduling adjustments to maintain this format, our team will be in touch personally.

XIV · Inquiries

Quietly answered.

Why only eleven seats?

+

Depth requires intimacy. More than eleven and the room changes.

Who decides who gets in?

+

The Circolo team reviews every application personally. Group chemistry is everything.

What happens after I apply?

+

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. We'll confirm your place and share full venue details on 18 July.

Is the USD 2,222 refundable?

+

75% refund up to 60 days before arrival. 50% refund up to 45 days before arrival. 30% refund up to 30 days before arrival. Non-refundable inside 30 days.

What's not included?

+

International flights, visa fees, travel insurance, and personal expenses.

What if the cohort doesn't fill?

+

Calma is intentionally designed for a specific group size to create the depth of connection and experience we envision. Should we need to make any scheduling adjustments to maintain this format, our team will be in touch personally.

Empty seat at a candlelit dinner table on a private villa terrace

XV

"Sometimes the best way to move forward is to pause."