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ID:
2025-05-21-gary-tasha-ben-ron-meeting-summary
Participants:

Transcript Summary: Gary Sheng, Tasha Arnold, Ben Gordon-Sniffen, Ron Roberts Meeting

Date: May 21, 2025 Participants:

  • Gary Sheng
  • Tasha Arnold (Head of Schools, Alpha)
  • Ben Gordon-Sniffen (Lead Guide, Alpha New York)
  • Ron Roberts (Strategic Advisor, Co-Director Alpha Scale with Gary)

Key Focus: Strategizing top-of-funnel marketing, enrollment for Alpha New York, and leveraging Gary & Ron's networks. Discussion of a potential opportunity with Yeshivas in New York.

Overall Summary​

This meeting brought together Gary Sheng and Ron Roberts with Tasha Arnold and Ben Gordon-Sniffen to discuss strategies for launching Alpha New York successfully. The primary need identified was generating top-of-funnel awareness and applications, as the New York team feels confident in closing leads once they enter the admissions process. Gary and Ron outlined their capabilities as "super connectors" and proposed leveraging their networks to attract "spark plug" families (influential media figures, finance/real estate connectors) and create a sense of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) through curated events and a narrative of inevitability. Tasha Arnold emphasized the importance of finding 25 founding families aligned with Alpha's mission. A significant tangent involved a developing situation where New York Yeshivas are reportedly facing shutdown threats, presenting a potential (though complex) opportunity for Alpha to offer its learning model.

Key Discussion Points​

1. Yeshiva Opportunity​

  • Context: Gary shared information from a "super powerful lawyer" about Jewish private Yeshivas in New York being threatened with shutdown by the government.
  • Potential Alpha Role: Integrating "Alpha learning ASAP so that they don't get shut down for the fall."
  • Ben's Take: "This would be a Dave Patin question." He cautioned, "This is an absolute minefield, and I don't think Dave is equipped yet to handle that." He suggested Luke Mead (Liemandt?) might also be relevant. Gary to connect with Dave Patin on Friday.
  • Ben's Involvement: Gary sought Ben's permission to loop him in. Ben: "This is the one place where Dave is going to be the product guy... and I can be the politics guy, because it is... There are people, and you certainly know one of them."

2. Roles and Contributions​

  • Tasha Arnold (as described by Ben): Possesses a "most robust understanding of the private school landscape, especially the alternative private school landscape of everyone in the organization." She is "mostly the mind overseeing this project [Alpha NY] and its execution, potholes included."
  • Ron Roberts (as described by Ben): "Gary's right hand. He's very connected in all sorts of circles... a career in education, but also a lot of networking."
    • Ron (self-described): Focuses on "how do we scale responsibly? How do we even think about if alpha is ready for that demand?" "I'm really good at identifying opportunities within an organization and identifying the best people within an organization."
  • Gary Sheng (as described by Ben): "One of the super builders from the gauntlet... very tuned into a lot of events and marketing, both in Austin and now in some of these expansion campuses."
    • Gary (self-described): A "super connector" across politics, education, media, entertainment, faith. Focus on the "funnel" – "filling gaps in hiring, filling seats, wooing parents. I'm getting this overall eyeball so that the average American knows what alpha is in the next 24 months."
  • Ben Gordon-Sniffen: Ground-level lead for Alpha NY, focused on admissions and operations. Provides critical insights into Alpha's internal dynamics and helps direct external efforts effectively.

3. Alpha New York - Needs and Strategy​

  • Current Status & Challenges:
    • Tasha: "We need top of the funnel. Once they get to us, we're pretty good at closing them out." "Most people don't even know about us in New York, to be quite frank."
    • Primary Objection: "The major objection that we're getting is that you're brand new." (Tasha)
    • Goal: Fill 25 spots for the initial cohort.
  • Admissions Process (Tasha):
    1. Info session.
    2. Shadow day (one week later, to evaluate child's coachability).
    3. Acceptance/denial.
    4. Seven days to pay $1,000 deposit ("We're kind of creating that FOMO, at least pay the deposit").
    5. Time-stamped waitlist after 25 students.
  • Desired Parent Profile ("Spark Plugs"):
    • Ben's "North Star": "Getting one or two celebrity super families, one probably a visible media celebrity, and the other as sort of that super connector, be that in real estate or private equity or wealth management."
    • Ron: "Identifying spark plugs. Like Ben said, private wealth manager, real estate agents, inherently both of them have access to an infinite amount of capital... Those people just happen to have kids."
    • Tasha: "We want parents that totally align with our vision and mission, as far as being founding alpha parents, because they're going to be the starting point."
  • Marketing & Events Strategy:
    • Ben's "North Star": "Building up some demand or manufacturing some scarcity just for applying."
    • Gary: Can organize "a really sick event that builds hype," possibly at Seaport. "It would be super easy for us to put together something like that this summer." Also proposed smaller, hyper-curated events for ~30 parents.
    • Gary's Philosophy: "You gotta communicate a feeling of inevitability that getting your kid in early... you're plugging into the best network in the world that's only gonna get better and better and better."
    • Tasha: "Creating the FOMO experience." "I think that's great." "Marketing is not my thing... happy to defer to people who have the energy, the experience, and the know-how."
    • Ron: Mentioned seeing a "Barbie activation" at Seaport, indicating its viability as an event space.

4. Gary & Ron's Background & Approach​

  • Gary's Journey: Vatican human flourishing project -> Gauntlet (AI agent for biographies) -> connected with Joe Liemandt via MacKenzie Price -> focus on Alpha education -> Zach Levi ranch event (generated significant interest for new schools) -> realized need to understand Alpha's readiness for scaling -> connected with Ben via Steph.
  • Ron's Journey: Attended Gary's Zach Levi event, inspired -> background in education philanthropy, social impact, entertainment -> concerned with responsible scaling and reputational risk -> whiteboard session with Joe on organizational optimization.
  • Shared Approach: Identify high-leverage opportunities and work with the "right people" within Alpha. Cut through bureaucracy. Act as "super connectors."
    • Gary: "It's helpful to work with the right people within the alpha ecosystem so that you're not wasting your time."
    • Ron (post-meeting with Ben): "Ever since Gary and I have like cared about alpha Every conversation that we have, Alpha comes up. And every single time we have a conversation with someone and we tell them about Alpha, they match our energy completely."

Action Items & Next Steps (Implied or Stated)​

  1. Gary & Ron: Focus on top-of-funnel for Alpha NY:
    • Identify and cultivate "spark plug" families.
    • Develop and execute event strategies (large and small, curated) to create hype and FOMO.
  2. Gary: Follow up with Dave Patin regarding the Yeshiva situation; will decide on further involvement based on that conversation and potentially loop in Ben.
  3. Tasha & Ben: Continue to manage the admissions pipeline once leads are generated. Collaborate with Gary & Ron on event planning and messaging.
  4. Press Release: An Alpha press release for NY is expected shortly (Tasha has a meeting about it).

Key Quotes​

  • Ben on Yeshiva situation: "This is an absolute minefield."
  • Tasha on NY needs: "We need top of the funnel. Once they get to us, we're pretty good at closing them out."
  • Tasha on objections: "The major objection that we're getting is that you're brand new."
  • Ben on "North Star" for Gary & Ron: "Getting one or two celebrity super families... and building up some demand or manufacturing some scarcity just for applying."
  • Gary on his approach: "You gotta communicate a feeling of inevitability that getting your kid in early... you're plugging into the best network in the world."
  • Tasha on marketing: "Marketing is not my thing... I'm happy to defer to people who have the energy, the experience, and the know-how."
  • Ron on current momentum: "Every single time we have a conversation with someone and we tell them about Alpha, they match our energy completely."
  • Gary on Alpha internal navigation: "It's helpful to work with the right people within the alpha ecosystem so that you're not wasting your time."
  • Ben introducing Tasha: "...probably the most robust understanding of the private school landscape... of everyone in the organization."
  • Tasha on Alpha: "Alpha is a fantastic school. It is unique. I think it really suits New York, well, the whole East Coast, really, for the most part, really well."