Beau Sydes

Role(s): Head of NextGen Academy (formerly eSports Academy), Alpha Schools Last interaction: June 3, 2025 - Virtual Meeting with Gary Sheng

Contact Information

• Email: [To be added]
• Phone: [To be added]

Professional Background & Current Role at NextGen Academy

• Joined the Alpha ecosystem in December (approx. 1.5 years prior to June 2025) to lead what was then conceptualized as eSports Academy.
• Took the initial idea from concept to an MVP program, then to its current iteration as NextGen Academy.
• Experienced a significant learning curve in branding and marketing, evolving from a purely video game-focused school to a tech-centric, life skills-oriented academy using game themes as motivation.
• Oversees curriculum development, student recruitment, and facility management at NextGen Academy's state-of-the-art campus.
• Reports strong academic results (e.g., 2x math test improvements) and is now focused on increasing enrollment.
• Works with Alpha's central marketing (Jason Appelbaum) and external agencies like Love Social for branding and social media.

NextGen Academy: Philosophy & Evolution

• Initial Model (eSports Academy): Focused on learning through video games and using game access as a primary incentive for academic work (4 hours daily). While effective for a small pilot group (4-5x academic growth), this model struggled with parent perception and enrollment, often being mistaken for an after-school program.
  • Beau: "No parent, no matter who they were... were interested in saying their kid to a video game school."
• Current Model (NextGen Academy):
  • Rebranding: Shifted name from eSports Academy to NextGen Academy to better reflect its broader educational mission.
  • Core Education: Follows the 2-hour Alpha learning model for academics, with strong reported results.
  • Life Skills Focus: Afternoons are dedicated to life skills, similar to other Alpha schools.
  • Game-Themed Environment: Leverages a high-tech campus (eSports gaming arenas, professional AV) and game-related themes to motivate students and make learning engaging. (Beau: "Our campus is literally built to be an amazing tech space... We've created an environment that kids love to come to.")
  • Experiential Learning: Teaches skills like public speaking through activities such as live shoutcasting eSports tournaments. (Beau: "The reality is it involves zero games. None at all. But it involves the themes that they love and the environment that they love.")
  • XP Currency: Uses "XP" (Experience Points) as in-school currency, which resonates with students.
  • Future-Ready Skills: Current workshops emphasize AI, coding, game development, and content creation.
• Improved Marketing & Reception: The new branding and educational focus are proving more effective in attracting parents and accurately representing the school's value.
  • Beau: "When parents walk through the door, we don't have to convince them that we are not an after-school program."
  • Recently launched revamped social media branding (early June 2025).

Collaboration with Gary Sheng & "Alphas Activate" Event

• Tour for Asian Delegation (June 13th): Agreed to arrange a tour of NextGen Academy for Gary's delegation interested in Asian school partnerships. Will ensure the tour is led by someone (himself or a team member) well-versed in NextGen's current philosophy.
  • Importance: The Asian delegation is connected to heads of countries (China, S. Korea, Japan) and sees potential in the NextGen model due to strong gaming cultures in Asia.
• Participation in June 14th Event:
  • Will try to make his schedule available to attend.
  • Open to giving a 5-10 minute presentation or case study on NextGen Academy's journey, iterations, and learnings.
  • Willing to be a resource for Q&A during networking sessions for potential school founders, parents, and other influencers.
• Messaging Alignment: Stressed the importance of consistent and accurate messaging about NextGen Academy when it's being shared by influencers or partners.

Key Skills & Attributes

• Educational Program Development & Iteration
• Branding & Marketing Strategy (especially for niche educational models)
• Team Leadership & Facility Management
• Curriculum Design (integrating technology and life skills)
• Adaptability and Resilience (navigating significant model changes)

Interactions

• June 3, 2025: Virtual meeting with Gary Sheng.
  • Provided a detailed history of NextGen Academy's evolution from eSports Academy.
  • Explained the shift in branding and educational philosophy away from direct video game-based learning to a tech-forward, life skills-focused model using game themes for motivation.
  • Discussed marketing challenges and recent successes with new messaging.
  • Agreed to host a tour for Gary's Asian delegation on June 13th.
  • Expressed willingness to participate in the June 14th "Alphas Activate" event, potentially as a speaker/case study presenter.
  • Gary shared his background and current role at Alpha, offering to connect Beau with a potential coding instructor (Zach).

Notes

Beau Sydes has demonstrated significant adaptability and resilience in evolving NextGen Academy from its initial eSports-focused concept into a more marketable and comprehensive tech-centric school. His candid sharing of the initial model's failures with parent perception provides valuable lessons for the broader Alpha ecosystem, especially concerning branding and communication for innovative educational models.

His willingness to collaborate on the "Alphas Activate" event and host the Asian delegation shows a commitment to supporting Alpha's growth. The NextGen Academy, with its unique facility and evolving curriculum focused on AI, coding, and content creation within a motivating game-themed environment, represents an interesting and potentially replicable experiment within the Alpha network, particularly for international markets with strong gaming cultures. Ensuring clear and consistent messaging about NextGen's current, nuanced philosophy will be key for its success and for leveraging its story effectively.

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-06-03-gary-sheng-beau-sydes-summary	2025-06-03	Summary of Conversation: Gary Sheng and Beau Sydes (June 3, 2025)