About Amber
You're always the only one in the room.
In the pitch meeting, at the board dinner, in the founder group chat. Amber is one week where you aren't — and where nobody needs anything explained.
0.5%
of U.S. venture dollars went to LGBTQ+ founders (2000–2022)
StartOut
75%
of LGBTQ+ founders feel uncomfortable disclosing who they are in the ecosystem
Proud Ventures
54%
of founders burned out in the last twelve months
Sifted, 2025
Why Amber
The company comes to dinner.
Nobody warns you that the hardest part of building is how little of it you can put down. The company comes to dinner. It comes to bed. In New York it rides the train with you, sits at the next table, shows up as the friend who just raised. You can love this city — most of us do — and still notice you haven't fully exhaled since spring.
We don't think the answer is wanting less. You chose this, and you'd choose it again. But there's a kind of rest a weekend upstate never reaches. It tends to arrive on the third or fourth day somewhere genuinely far away, when your shoulders drop before you've decided they should.
A forest does that quietly. Add a table of people you don't have to translate yourself for, food someone truly cared about, and teachers who can tell whether your mind needs stillness or a challenge — and something shifts that tends to stay shifted.
Your host
Itamar
I grew up on a kibbutz in Israel — a small, close-knit place surrounded by fields — and knew early that I needed the bigger world. I'm 29 now, living in New York, building, and spending as much time as I can on what keeps me whole: mindfulness, the nature of consciousness, a body that's looked after, and work that means something.
Like a lot of gay men, I grew up a little outside things. Not much of a support system, part of myself kept quiet, coming out later than I wish I had. Somewhere in there, as a kid, I decided that something about me was wrong — that I didn't fully belong. It wasn't anyone's fault; it's cultural, and it's common. But conclusions we reach as children run deep. They push us to be exceptional, and they can quietly cost us, too.
I've come to believe none of it has to define us. We don't need to be loud to be noticed. We can be quietly influential, stop performing what we don't feel, love and be loved, and leave the old story where it belongs.
That kind of change rarely happens alone. It happens around people who support you — or simply listen. Amber is the week I always wished existed.
Joined by our guest of honour — [anchor guest, announced soon].
The place
A private forest, under an hour from Tbilisi.
Five villas
Each guest has a private room. Wood, linen, quiet. Windows that open onto the trees.
The sauna
Wood-fired, in the forest. A cold plunge after. Every morning, every night, as often as you like.
The forest
Private land, no neighbours, no signage. Trails from your door. Mist in the mornings.
The table
Eight thousand years of wine. One long table.
Georgia is where wine began — residues from around 6000 BC — and its clay-vessel method, qvevri, is recognised by UNESCO. Our chef cooks every meal; every dinner is poured with natural amber wine from small Kakheti cellars. One night, a full supra: a tamada leading the toasts, polyphonic singers, a table that doesn't end.
The name isn't an accident.
The week
Five days,
loosely held.
- Day 01ArrivalPrivate pickup at Tbilisi airport. Sauna. A welcome dinner opened by a tamada — the Georgian toastmaster.
- Day 02Founder circlesSmall groups. Everyone brings one real problem — a raise, a co-founder, being out to investors, the thing you don't say on LinkedIn.
- Day 03KakhetiA private qvevri cellar in Georgia's wine country. Harvest lunch at a family table.
- Day 04The Grand SupraA fireside with our guest of honour, then the feast: polyphonic singers, long toasts, the night everyone remembers.
- Day 05ClosingA last circle — what you're taking home. Sauna. Final launch under the trees.
Work if you want
Your days are yours.
New York logs on at five.
Tbilisi runs eight to nine hours ahead of New York. Sleep, sauna, think, walk, build — by the time your inbox wakes up, you've already had the best part of the day.
08:00
Slow morning
Breakfast, sauna, forest walk, breathwork.
10:00
Communal programming. Or do your thing
Your call.
13:00
Long lunch
Outside when the weather allows.
15:00
Afternoon
Excursion, massage, nap, a 1:1 walk.
17:00
New York logs on
Be available. Or stay offline.
21:00
The long table
Dinner. The only thing we ask you to show up for.
Everything is optional except dinner.
Included
From the moment you land, nothing to decide.
- 01Round-trip flights from New York
- 02Private airport pickup and transfers
- 03Private room in one of five forest villas
- 04Private chef — every meal, every day
- 05Natural Georgian wine with every dinner
- 06Daily wood-fired sauna and cold plunge
- 07Massage therapist on site
- 08Starlink-backed Wi-Fi and dedicated work spaces
- 09Kakheti cellar day and private Tbilisi sulfur bath
- 10Founder circles and a fireside with our guest of honour
- 11A photographer — nothing shared without your yes
- 12Laundry, concierge, zero logistics
Who it's for
Chosen, not booked.
- You're a gay or bi man, 25–35, building a company in New York.
- You've raised, you're revenue-generating, or you're about to jump.
- You're usually the only one in the room — and you're tired of editing yourself.
- You want a week that's restorative without being precious, social without being a party.
- You'll leave something for the room: honesty, generosity, a good toast.
It isn't
- A networking conference with a pool.
- A party trip.
- A week where you have to perform.
Private by design
Discretion isn't a feature. It's the point.
Private land
A forest estate with no neighbours and no signage. The exact location is shared only with accepted guests.
Vetted people
Local staff we know personally. Private transfers from the airport. Security on call through the week.
No tagging
Nothing featuring you is shared without your explicit yes. Guests agree not to post or tag one another.
A guide in the city
Our night in Tbilisi is with someone who knows the city's queer scene, its doors and its people.
Dates & price
Two cohorts in 2027.
Applications open
The Founding Cohort
December 2026 · Green forest, long evenings, 5 nights.
$5,900$7,900
Founding rate — first cohort only
Waitlist
The Harvest Cohort
September 2027 · Rtveli — the Georgian grape harvest. 5 nights.
$7,900
Per person, private room, all-inclusive
Questions
Fair questions.
Is it safe?+
Yes — and we take the question seriously. The U.S. State Department rates Georgia Level 1 (exercise normal precautions). Georgia also passed restrictive laws on public LGBTQ+ expression in 2024, which is exactly why Amber is private by design: private land, vetted local staff, private transfers, security on call, and a no-tagging policy. The exact location is shared only with accepted guests. Our nights in Tbilisi are with a guide who knows the city's queer scene well.
Do I have to work? Do I have to stop working?+
Neither. Tbilisi is eight to nine hours ahead of New York, so your mornings and afternoons are genuinely free and New York comes online around 5pm. Everything except dinner is optional.
Why apply? Can't I just book?+
Because the room is the product. Twelve seats, chosen so that everyone gives and gets something. We read every application personally.
What happens after I apply?+
We reply within ten days. If it looks like a fit, we'll set up a short call. If you're accepted, payment in full within two days confirms your room.
Can I bring my partner?+
Not for the founding cohort — the week works because the group becomes its own thing. A couples edition is on our list.
Are flights included?+
Yes — round-trip flights from New York are included. There's no direct route, so most itineraries connect through Istanbul (about 14–16 hours). U.S. citizens don't need a visa. From the moment you land, everything is handled.
What if plans change?+
The week described here is our plan, and we'll keep to its spirit — but specific sessions, guests, excursions and timings may change. If Amber cancels the retreat for any reason, you receive a full refund.
Can my company pay?+
Many founders treat Amber as a founder offsite or professional development. We'll issue a proper invoice to your company.
What about photos?+
Our photographer shoots candids for you. Nothing featuring you is shared publicly without your explicit yes, and we ask guests not to post or tag one another.
Twelve seats · By application
Take a seat at the long table.
Fifteen minutes. No pitch deck. We're looking for honesty, not polish.