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ID:
2025-05-29-casey-mcpherson-gala-discussion
Participants:

Conversation with Casey McPherson

Overview​

Gary Sheng met Casey McPherson, a biotech entrepreneur, at the Texas Venture Gala. Their conversation covered Casey's innovative work in treating severe autism, his personal experiences with neurodiversity and homeschooling, and his interest in Alpha Schools' educational model, leading to an invitation to a June 14th Alpha event.

Casey McPherson's Work & Background​

  • Biotech Company: Runs a biotech company in Austin focused on creating customized treatments for children with severe autism.
    • Treatment Method: Administered intravenously (potentially into the spine) directly to the brain.
    • Efficacy: "Yeah, they work amazing. You can design them in a computer."
    • Process: Involves genetic specification to create customized treatments. He's working to shorten the current 10-15 year development timeline significantly.
  • Personal Connection: Has an 11-year-old neurodivergent daughter who attends Canyon Vista public school (a 40-minute commute).
  • Homeschooling Experience: Was homeschooled in third grade and feels he "started accomplishing my dreams starting in middle school" because he could tailor his learning. He sees his daughter facing difficulties doing the same in her current public school setting.
  • Openness to Alternatives: Expressed a desire to explore different schooling options for his daughter ("Yeah, I mean, I'd love to").

Alpha Schools Discussion​

  • Gary's Pitch: Gary explained Alpha Schools as potentially the "best K-12 system in the world," highlighting:
    • 10 years of piloting in Austin.
    • Expansion to Santa Barbara, New York, etc.
    • AI-assisted Common Core learning in the first two hours.
    • The rest of the day dedicated to pursuing passions and projects useful to humanity ("Montessori 2.0"), developing the crucial life skill of setting and achieving meaningful goals.
    • Emphasis on starting this process in middle school.
  • Casey's Interest: Casey seemed to resonate with the model, especially given his own positive experience with tailored learning in middle school and his daughter's current situation.
  • June 14th Event Invitation: Gary invited Casey to a "candid briefing at the summit for our school system" on June 14th, describing it as an official overview of Alpha's learnings, current educational deficits, and how people can get involved.
    • Casey accepted: "Yeah, I'd love to."

Broader Themes Discussed​

  • Critique of FDA: Casey expressed frustration with the FDA, calling it "bullshit" and one of his "biggest hurdles." He compared its outdated nature to how religion often fails to adapt, stating, "technology is completely outdated." He mentioned effective treatments (like frequency treatments at "Hope for Cancer" in Mexico) being unavailable in the U.S. due to FDA restrictions.
    • Gary: "It doesn't have to be banned by the FDA, but it's often a sign that it's a good thing, if it's banned by the FDA."
  • Faith and Spirituality: Both Casey and Gary shared that they attend multiple churches, finding a common ground in an exploratory approach to faith.
    • Casey responded positively to an article Gary shared titled "Divine Alignment."

Key Quotes​

  • Casey McPherson on his biotech treatment: "Yeah, they work amazing. You can design them in a computer."
  • Casey McPherson on his daughter's public school experience: "I see that in my daughter, being in public school, it's like, it's pretty difficult for her to do that stuff [accomplish her dreams]."
  • Casey McPherson on FDA: "Yeah, it's one of my biggest hurdles, for sure... technology is completely outdated."
  • Gary Sheng on Alpha Schools' goal-setting focus: "...building the most important life skill that I think anyone could have, which is setting a goal that's useful for humanity and trying to achieve it. The loop, the loop, the loop, the loop, the loop."
  • Gary Sheng on FDA alternatives: "It doesn't have to be banned by the FDA, but it's often a sign that it's a good thing, if it's banned by the FDA."

Next Steps​

  • Exchange of contact information (implied by Gary using TextExpander and sending his website).
  • Casey to potentially attend the Alpha Schools briefing on June 14th.

Overall Impression​

A very promising connection. Casey's personal and professional background aligns well with Alpha Schools' mission. His focus on innovative, customized solutions in biotech, his direct experience with a neurodivergent child, his appreciation for tailored education, and his openness to new ideas make him a strong potential advocate and influential parent for the Alpha Schools community in Austin.