Ben Gordon-Sniffen

Overview

Ben Gordon-Sniffen is the Lead Guide for Alpha New York, spearheading admissions and operations for the new school. He has a background in software development and education, having previously worked as a guide at Alpha Austin. Ben is focused on establishing Alpha NY, aiming for an initial cohort of 25 students. He emphasizes a realistic, on-the-ground approach to school building and is candid about the challenges and internal dynamics at Alpha.

Background & Experience

• Former software developer (government contractor, data visualization).
• Transitioned to education, motivated by a love for coaching (ran track in college).
• Initially aimed for curriculum development (middle school Computer Science).
• Became a guide at Alpha Austin, working with middle school and later 4th grade for approximately two years.
• Underwent professional development in executive functioning coaching.
• Took the Lead Guide position for Alpha New York in mid-February 2025, moving full-time in April 2025.

Key Perspectives & Role (from 2025-05-19 conversation)

• Alpha NY Launch: Leading admissions and sales, with a target of 25 students. Aware of being "late to the game" for NY admissions cycles.
• Market Differences: Recognizes the distinct parental interests and competitive landscape in New York compared to Austin. Believes NY parents are particularly interested in rigor, writing, and language learning.
• Critique of Alpha Leadership/Operations:
  • Expresses that Arthur Mishma operates at a "100,000 foot level" and doesn't fully grasp Alpha's operational realities.
  • Views marketing (Jason Applebaum, Amelia) as a significant problem area, with marketing efforts coming off as "desperate."
  • Highlights issues with information siloing within Alpha ("If you are the person with information at Alpha, that is so valuable... that's your edge.") and lack of documentation.
  • Believes in focusing on "depth, not breadth" and picking "winners" among school launch efforts.
• Key Alpha Personnel (to connect with):
  • Recommends Gary connect with Tasha Arnold (Head of Schools, "people of Jersey") and Jeremy Williams (Expansion Team).
  • Suggests Alex Kaiser (runs Alpha Miami) as a valuable contact with experience in a different market.
• Strategy for NY:
  • Aims to create scarcity and demand for Alpha NY.
  • Believes in getting "celebrity parents to enroll their kids" and creating a waitlist of "influential people in finance and tech."
  • Wants to cultivate relationships with preschools to build a long-term admissions funnel.
• Candid Communication: Appreciates open and direct conversations, offering his own frank assessments of Alpha's situation.
• Collaboration: Open to working with Gary Sheng and Ron Roberts to improve Alpha's efforts, particularly in marketing and strategic alignment.
• On Joe (Alpha's Head): Views Joe as ambitious. Advises that Joe will "yell at you" but "it's when he stops swearing that you should start being scared."
• Workshops & Content: Has experience creating innovative student workshops (drone coding, robotics, storytelling podcast, emotion regulation via poker) and believes good workshops are crucial for the non-academic part of the school day.

Interactions

• 2025-05-19: Met with Gary Sheng and Ron Roberts in New York. Discussed Alpha NY launch, challenges within Alpha, key personnel, potential strategies, and areas for collaboration. Shared candid insights into Alpha's culture and leadership. Agreed to connect Gary with Tasha Arnold.
• 2025-05-21: Participated in a meeting with Gary Sheng, Ron Roberts, and Tasha Arnold. Primarily focused on strategies for Alpha New York enrollment. Re-iterated the "North Star" for Gary and Ron: attracting 1-2 "celebrity super families" and manufacturing demand/scarcity for applications. Discussed the Yeshiva situation, noting it as a "minefield" and suggesting Dave Patin would be the product expert while he (Ben) could handle the "politics." Agreed the NY campus design was "fire."

Transcripts

Transcript ID	Date	Summary
2025-05-19-meeting-with-ben-gordon-sniffen-and-ron-roberts	2025-05-19	Meeting with Ben Gordon-Sniffen and Ron Roberts (Alpha NY)
2025-05-21-gary-tasha-ben-ron-meeting-summary	2025-05-21	Meeting focused on strategizing top-of-funnel marketing and enrollment for Alpha New York, plus discussion of Yeshiva opportunity