Gratitude Costa Rica Partnership Brief
In brief
Gratitude Costa Rica is an emerging regenerative retreat and learning centre in development. The land has not yet been chosen, and the centre is not yet open for bookings.
This partnership brief is for early, exploratory conversations with people who may be able to offer advice, due diligence, introductions, land expertise, regenerative design experience, operational insight, mission-aligned partnership or patient capital.
It is not an offer of securities, investment advice, legal advice or financial advice. Any future partnership, investment or capital structure would require appropriate professional guidance, due diligence and formal documentation.
A regenerative retreat and learning centre in development
Gratitude Costa Rica is an emerging regenerative retreat and learning centre in development, rooted in nature, wellbeing, education, land stewardship and long-term self-sufficiency.
The vision is to create a low-impact, financially sustainable retreat space in Costa Rica where people can rest, reconnect, learn and restore capacity for meaningful participation in the world.
The centre is not yet open for bookings, and the land has not yet been chosen. This is a careful beginning: a time for listening, learning, relationship-building, due diligence and building the right foundations.
Purpose: why this project matters
Gratitude Costa Rica is being developed around a simple belief:
When people are properly supported, the benefits do not stop with them.
A period of rest, reflection, nature connection or careful facilitation can change how someone returns to their work, family, community or creative life. This is especially true for people who already hold space for others: educators, leaders, carers, practitioners, facilitators, creatives and people navigating transition.
The intention is not to create a retreat centre built around escape. It is to create a place of return: return to the body, return to the land, return to community, return to purpose and return to what matters.
Opportunity: restorative retreats with operational grounding
There is growing need for restorative, nature-led spaces that are both emotionally meaningful and operationally grounded.
Many people are carrying too much. Educators, leaders, carers, practitioners, creatives and people in helping roles are often expected to keep giving, producing, adapting and holding space for others without enough space to restore themselves.
Gratitude Costa Rica aims to respond to that need through a regenerative retreat and learning model that brings together:
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nature-based rest and restoration
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wellbeing and reflective practices
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education and leadership retreats
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creative and reflective residencies
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facilitator-led retreats
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regenerative living and land-based learning
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responsible tourism
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local community connection
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long-term land stewardship
The project is being shaped as a financially sustainable, low-impact centre where care for people, care for land and care for future communities are held together.
Future retreat model
The retreat centre will be developed in phases. Over time, the intention is to offer a mix of personal retreats, facilitated programmes, learning experiences and collaborative residencies.
Personal restoration retreats
Quiet, reflective stays for people needing space to pause, rest, make sense of life changes and reconnect with themselves in a safe, gentle environment.
Creative and reflective residencies
Space for writers, artists, educators, researchers and practitioners to step away from noise and work on meaningful projects in a peaceful setting.
Wellbeing and sound healing retreats
Small group retreats using sound healing, reiki, meditation, guided imagery, reflective journalling and nature-based practice.
Regenerative living and land-based learning
Practical learning around food-growing, low-impact living, land care, community resilience and sustainable retreat development.
Education and leadership retreats
Retreats for educators, leaders, facilitators and changemakers who want to think more deeply, lead more humanely and reconnect with purpose.
Facilitator partnerships
Opportunities for aligned facilitators to host small, thoughtful retreats in a setting designed around care, depth and integrity.
Ecological and self-sufficiency principles
Gratitude Costa Rica will be developed with a strong commitment to ecological care.
The intention is to work with the land rather than dominate it. This means making careful decisions about where and how to build, how water is gathered and used, how food is grown, how energy is generated and how the surrounding ecosystem is protected.
The long-term vision includes:
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low-impact buildings
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solar energy where possible
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water-conscious systems
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edible gardens and permaculture principles
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tree planting and habitat protection
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composting and soil regeneration
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local materials where appropriate
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partnerships with local craftspeople, growers and suppliers
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careful visitor numbers to protect peace, privacy and ecological balance
Self-sufficiency is not being treated as a slogan. It is a direction of travel.
The aim is to build a centre that becomes more resilient, more rooted and more responsible over time.
Why Costa Rica?
Costa Rica offers a powerful context for this work: biodiversity, community, resilience, simplicity and a more spacious relationship with time.
The aim is not to import a retreat model that could exist anywhere. The aim is to build slowly and respectfully in response to the land, the local community and the practical realities of living and working in Costa Rica.
Gratitude Costa Rica will be shaped through listening, relationship-building and care. Local knowledge, local expertise and the practical wisdom of place will be central to the development process.
Founder background and relevant experience
Gratitude Costa Rica is part of the wider Gratitude Worldwide vision.
Founder Naomi Rowan has a background spanning global education consultancy, digital learning, assessment transformation, leadership development and wellbeing facilitation.
Naomi previously founded and ran Gratitude Vietnam, a retreat and wellbeing space that brought together community, mindfulness, sound healing, reflective practice and responsible tourism.
Gratitude Costa Rica builds on that experience while allowing something new to emerge: a slower, more land-based, more self-sufficient and more regenerative expression of the work.
Proof of concept: Gratitude Vietnam
The retreat received strong guest and facilitator feedback for its thoughtful hosting, gentle facilitation, sustainability practices, locally sourced food, attention to detail, professional communication and welcoming atmosphere.
A retreat leader described the space as professionally run and suitable for training workshops and sessions, while guests highlighted the quality of care, the nourishing environment and the sense of community.
Before Gratitude Costa Rica, Naomi founded and ran Gratitude Vietnam in Hoi An: a retreat and wellbeing space offering yoga, meditation, sound healing, Reiki, reflective workshops, retreats, trainings and facilitator-led experiences.
Gratitude Vietnam was previously featured by Eco Conscious Traveller and Signature Bride for its retreat offering, venue and meaningful guest experiences.
Gratitude Costa Rica grows from this lived experience while moving in a more land-based, self-sufficient and regenerative direction.
What we are seeking now
Gratitude Costa Rica is currently seeking values-aligned conversations around:
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land identification and due diligence
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regenerative design and low-impact building
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water, solar and self-sufficiency planning
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permaculture and biodiversity restoration
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Costa Rican legal, planning and ownership considerations
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retreat operations and phased business modelling
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mission-aligned partnership or patient capital
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introductions to people with relevant experience in regenerative land, retreat development, education, wellbeing or responsible investment
At this stage, the most valuable support may come through advice, principled challenge, introductions, specialist expertise, partnership or patient capital.
The priority is not speed. The priority is to build the right foundations.
Potential future revenue pathways
The final model will depend on land, location, access, infrastructure, legal considerations and phased development costs.
Potential revenue streams may include:
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personal retreat stays
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small group retreats
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facilitator-hosted retreats
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education and leadership programmes
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creative residencies
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regenerative living workshops
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land-based learning experiences
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membership or supporter updates
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partnerships with aligned organisations
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future accommodation income, depending on land and permitting
The intention is to develop a financially sustainable retreat and learning centre that is not dependent on a single income stream.
Phased development approach
The project will be shaped through a phased approach.
Phase 1: Foundation and due diligence
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clarify land criteria
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identify possible regions and properties
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understand legal, ecological and access considerations
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consult local experts
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build an advisory circle
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map early-stage costs and risks
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clarify the first viable operating model
Phase 2: Land and first-stage design
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secure suitable land or land partnership
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complete site-specific ecological and legal due diligence
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design the first phase of infrastructure
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plan water, solar, access, accommodation and guest experience
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develop first-stage financial projections
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identify aligned facilitators and pilot programmes
Phase 3: First operating phase
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launch a small, careful first phase
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host limited retreats, residencies or pilot programmes
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refine the operational model
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develop local partnerships
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reinvest in land care, infrastructure and guest experience
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grow slowly and responsibly
Partnership principles
Gratitude Costa Rica is not seeking purely extractive capital or high-pressure growth.
The right partners will understand:
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long-term value creation
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ecological care
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responsible development
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human development
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community relationship-building
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patient capital
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thoughtful risk management
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the importance of building with reality, not fantasy
This is not a conventional hospitality project. It is a regenerative retreat and learning centre designed around mutual benefit: land that is cared for, people who are restored, local relationships that are respected, and programmes that support wider communities beyond the centre itself.
Risk awareness and due diligence
The project is early-stage and carries real risks.
These include:
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land suitability
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access and infrastructure
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water availability
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legal and planning requirements
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build costs
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operational capacity
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seasonality
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retreat occupancy
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local relationship-building
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ecological constraints
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capital structure
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founder bandwidth
These are not reasons to avoid the project. They are reasons to move carefully, seek experienced advice and build a transparent development pathway.
A core part of the current phase is to identify, understand and reduce these risks before making major commitments.
Wellbeing and safety boundaries
Gratitude Costa Rica will be shaped by trauma-aware, consent-led principles.
The centre will not offer therapy, counselling, psychotherapy, medical treatment or mental health care, and it is not intended to replace support from qualified professionals.
Future retreats, sessions and experiences will be offered as wellbeing, learning and nature-based practices rather than clinical services.
The retreat culture will prioritise safety, choice, consent, clarity, compassion, respect, gentle facilitation and grounded care.
Wider purpose and ripple effect
Gratitude Costa Rica is being built around the ripple effect.
When people are restored, they return differently: to their families, classrooms, teams, communities, creative work and inner lives.
The deeper purpose of the centre is not simply to host retreats. It is to create a regenerative model of support where small, well-placed forms of care can create wider benefit.
This is a place being imagined for the long term: rooted in nature, wellbeing, education and land stewardship.
Built with care, for the long term.
Invitation for aligned conversations
Gratitude Costa Rica is open to thoughtful conversations with people who feel aligned with this vision.
The most useful conversations at this stage are with people who can offer:
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advice
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principled challenge
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introductions
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land expertise
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regenerative design experience
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sustainability guidance
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retreat development knowledge
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legal or operational insight
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mission-aligned partnership
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patient capital
Important legal and financial note
This partnership brief is for exploratory conversation only. It is not an offer of securities, investment advice, legal advice or financial advice. Any future partnership, investment or capital structure would require appropriate professional guidance, due diligence and formal documentation.
A fuller financial model will be developed once land criteria and site options have been narrowed.
Next step
If there may be alignment, the most useful next step is a thoughtful introductory conversation.
This may be a conversation about land, due diligence, retreat operations, sustainability, legal considerations, partnership, patient capital, or simply a principled challenge to help strengthen the project before major decisions are made.