The idea grew out of Spirit Tribe, a permaculture community Fénix started in Portugal. Over three years, Spirit Tribe attracted about 2,000 visitors across its farms and events, with gatherings ranging from one- to five-day events like Spiritfest and Spirit Tribe Camp Out. The largest event had around 100 people. Spirit Tribe had three homes: Vera, Alta Presença and Riversong.

For Fénix, Spirit Tribe was never simply about putting on events. It was about creating spaces where people could participate rather than watch. “We didn’t have performers, because performance is ‘per’ - meaning ‘from a’ - form,” he says. Instead, people were encouraged to contribute their own skills, music and ideas.

The community was built around permaculture, food sovereignty, conscious communication and creating a safe space for people to connect. “I wish for people to feel seen and to grow,” Fénix says.

Grow came from seeing a gap in existing platforms. Fénix felt that services such as Airbnb and Workaway did not fully meet the needs of off-grid communities, where hosts might want both volunteers and paying guests. Grow allows communities to list accommodation and events while also finding volunteers. For now, connecting a host and a volunteer is free on both sides. Bookings currently carry a 15% commission for Grow.

The platform has been live since September 2025 and, at the time of the interview, had around 90 communities listed, most of them in Portugal, with a small number elsewhere in Europe.

Grow is run by Fénix and his business partner Joban. “He creates the product and I ship the message,” Fénix says. The long-term ambition is bigger: to make Grow a global platform for people looking to experience regenerative community living. “This isn’t about me or Joban,” he says. “It’s about whoever feels resonance with making this lifestyle more accessible.”

He booked the first flight he saw – a flight to Faro

Fénix Stardust describes his move to Portugal as something that happened more through instinct than careful planning. Before arriving, he had spent seven years in London, working as a lawyer and technology entrepreneur. He had started two technology companies, but despite the professional success, he says he was unhappy.

“I didn’t like the person I had become,” he recalls. “Every time that I got to the top of the mountain, I realised it was just the base for another mountain.”

The turning point came during the COVID-19 period in 2020. Fénix says he began questioning his life and the direction of society. One day, he opened Skyscanner and booked the first flight he saw: Faro, Portugal. He knew nobody there and had no real plan. Three days later, he was on a yoga retreat.

“The day after my first breathwork experience, I texted my business partner and I said, ‘I’m not coming back to London. I’m staying in Portugal,’” he says.

He initially spent a year in Lisbon before moving into the countryside. At a farm in central Portugal, he began swimming in cold waterfalls, spending time in nature and getting to know himself differently. Eventually, he invited other people to the farm, and those gatherings became the beginnings of Spirit Tribe.

His motivation is also connected to his childhood. Fénix was raised by a single mother for the first seven years of his life. His father left before he was one. He says this created a strong desire to feel seen and successful. That drive helped him build a career, but he now sees another side to it.

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

“I like this concept of dharma, of doing something that I’m good at that brings me joy and purpose that alleviates and elevates the community around me,” he says.

Today, his work with Grow and Spirit Tribe reflects that change. Rather than chasing success simply for himself, he wants to create spaces where people can meet, learn practical skills and experience another way of living.

For Fénix, Portugal became something greater. “I was born in a hospital 40 years ago … and I was reborn on a farm in Portugal, I guess,” he says.

About Fénix

Fénix Rayne “Stardust” is a former international sports lawyer and three-time startup founder. He co-founded Grow, a platform connecting people with off-grid communities across Portugal to visit, stay and volunteer, and founded Spirit Tribe, a permaculture community. His latest project, Riversong, is based in São Pedro do Sul. He speaks at festivals about conscious communication, fermentation and community.

Credits: Supplied Image; Author: Client;

Sustainable Portugal is hiring

If you want to work in sustainability, the hardest part is often finding out who is hiring. Sustainable Living now lists more than 200 openings across the country: internships, volunteer placements, freelance work and staff roles. We publish them because the work is already happening, and the projects doing it are usually too busy to advertise. Making those openings easy to find is the quickest way we know to turn interest into action. A new selection goes out by email every week.

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How you can support Grow

Grow is looking for content creators who can show what off-grid living actually looks like, and for a marketing manager to carry that message further. The founders are also open to investors who want to take a stake and help them expand.

Read the full profile on Sustainable Living: sustainableliving.pt/projects/growers

Website: growers.me

Instagram: @wearegrowxyz

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