Email to Joe Liemandt: American Education Summit Proposal
To: Joe Liemandt From: Gary Sheng Date: November 16, 2025
Subject: American Education Summit - Creating the "Davos for Education" We Discussed in March
Joe,
We both know my Alpha tenure from April-July wasn't ideal, and I want to own up to my part in that.
Ultimately, time away has clarified what matters: my heart is still in transforming education, and Alpha is still the best organization positioned to do it (including for the faith-based education sector, which will grow rapidly).
Last week at the Vatican, where I was invited to an exclusive 150-person AI summit, I literally ran into Texas Lt Gov Dan Patrick. Can't be a coincidence.
At that summit, international education leaders kept asking me about Alpha Schools. The same week, Chinese education leaders reached out about Alpha. The world wants to understand what you're building.
When catching up with Tim Joo recently, he also mentioned Alpha would benefit from support on events.
So altogether, I figured it was perfect timing to re-explore executing on the vision we discussed in the meeting when you hired me in the Gauntlet HQ in March: creating Davos for Education in America.
The Proposal: The inaugural "American Education Summit"
What: Ultra-exclusive, invite-only 150-person summit. March 18-20, 2026, Austin.
Timing: Right after SXSW EDU, during UT Spring Break, ahead of America's 250th.
Structure: Independent entity, Alpha as sole Founding Sponsor. You control everything without it looking like a corporate event.
Who will attend: State education commissioners, sovereign wealth funds, Trump admin officials, faith leaders, top EdTech founders, select media. Invitation-only; being invited means you matter.
Why it will work: Creates optimal TimeBack fundraising conditions. Positions you at the center of a group of elites united to advance education in an Alpha-aligned way.
Spiky POVS:
- This $850K Summit Will Trump Multi-Million Dollar Marketing Budgets
- The Power of Never Being Able to Apply - Invite-Only Creates Infinite Demand
- TimeBack's $1B Raise Requires Investment Theater, Not Pitch Decks
- Patriotism Is The New ESG - International Capital's Secret Obsession
- Education Conferences Are Dead; Power Consolidation Rituals Are The Future
- Ideological Alignment Is The Ultimate Leverage - Stop Wasting Time on Debates
I've detailed everything here: American Education Summit BrainLift (Link to Ephor with A-Grade inside)
I'm back in Austin for in-person meetings, and can also take a call this week, if you're interested in discussing.
Best,
Gary