Sail & Scale: Networking Ride for Startup & Scaleup Founders
A golden pause for bold minds. On May 15, we’re setting sail once more with the builders, backers, and quiet powerhouses shaping this community from within. No pitches. No pressure. Just an honest golden-hour session aboard Les Mandarins. Invite only. Limited spots.
About the event
Sail & Scale is our new invite-only boat series, hosted on the FM boat Les Mandarins. Designed for seasoned founders who’ve been through a few waves, it’s about real conversations, shared challenges, and meeting like-minded people in a truly relaxed setting.
Each edition brings together a handpicked group of founders, investors, and facilitators for meaningful, low-pressure networking that skips the noise and dives into what actually matters. No panels. No name tags. Just community, flow, and the right kind of energy.
🍊 Sail & Scale – Golden Hour on Les Mandarins
Thursday, May 15 | 17:00–20:00 | Amsterdam
Before we head to LA once again, we’re gathering our Amsterdam crew for one more golden-hour ride.
Sail & Scale: Golden Hour Edition is a small-format Founders Mesh experience aboard Les Mandarins — where founders, investors, and enablers come together for 3 hours of real conversation, cold drinks, and warm sunlight.
No pitches. No name tags. Just quality people you’ll actually want to talk to — and time to talk to them.
This isn’t about stages or scaling tips. It’s about showing up, sharing honestly, and leaving with something that sticks.
As always, it’s invite-only and intentionally small. Because that’s what makes it work.
🍊 Why Les Mandarins?
We borrowed the name from a rich lineage—historically, Mandarins were scholar-officials in imperial China, selected for their intellect and moral standing. Later, the term evolved through Simone de Beauvoir’s post-war novel to symbolize elite intellectual circles navigating the responsibility of thought leadership in complex, real-world systems.
While sometimes critiqued for being insular, these circles were equally respected for their depth, clarity, and influence. We chose the name to honor this tension—to gather those who think deeply, build intentionally, and aren’t afraid to ask harder questions. Not to isolate, but to engage. Not to impress, but to understand.