Call/Meeting Summary: AI Community Launch and Catholic School Innovation Updates

Overview

In-person catch-up at a smoothie shop near Gary's new apartment. Gary shared updates on his three focus areas for 2026: AI community building (sponsored by Travis), Daily Spirit media, and consulting for friends. Chris shared progress on Vatican blockchain project, his first AI teaching class at St. Teresa (recording fed to curriculum agent), and challenges with cultural adoption of AI in Catholic schools. Discussed ESA funding outreach through church networks.

Key Topics Discussed

Gary's 2026 Focus Areas

1. Applied AI Community (Travis-sponsored):

• Hosting events where successful AI consultants present their methods
• "Very practical" approach
• First event January 29th at Capital Factory

2. Daily Spirit:

• "Christian version of Daily Stoic"
• Automating a lot of production, but core subject based on what Gary's feeling
• Currently sending to close friends

3. Consulting/Favor Exchange:

• Helping close friends level up their businesses
• Living with Dawson, helping him integrate AI into YouTube growth consultancy (thumbnail generation, title suggestions)

Travis Relationship:

• Met through former colleague who invited Gary to Travis's event
• Hit it off, stayed in touch for 9 months
• Travis "about to close a fundraise" - more funding now

Prenda ESA Approval

Major Development:

• Prenda officially approved for ESA funding in Texas (news came day before)
• Anyone creating Prenda micro school can get ESA funding

Gary's Involvement:

• Has friend wanting to raise $1M for pilot year at "nice house"
• Contributing to micro school founders rather than running one himself
• Has experienced guidance counselor wanting to create "fractional counselor" business for micro schools

ESA Outreach Strategy

Gary's Concern:

• Wants to connect with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick
• Worried word isn't getting out about ESA program
• "One of the best vectors... is getting, going through church networks"
• Need to convince church congregations, especially in lower income areas, to apply

Chris's Response:

• St. Teresa has only 15 of 360 students applying for financial aid (9 families)
• Question of whether to market ESA to people who "might not think of the school as an option financially"
• Mentioned St. Ignatius (near downtown) as potential lower-income school
• March 17th application deadline

Alpha School's Approach:

• Joe Liemandt marketing ESA aggressively through sports academy team
• Gary: "Doesn't make sense to me because how can you homeschool?"
• Gary's Stanford friend got laid off from Alpha in December
• Gary: "Empathy is not his strong suit. So he's not thinking about any obvious or subtle things that affect culture."

Chris's AI Teaching Experiment

First Class Success:

• Taught first AI elective class at St. Teresa (7th grade)
• Recorded entire class
• Fed transcript to curriculum agent (after abstracting student names)

AI Analysis Provided:

• What Chris did well
• Student personality profiles
• What he could have done better
• Concerns to monitor
• What went well that he might not have realized

Principal's Reaction:

• Chris sent analysis to principal and vice-principal
• Principal said: "More effective than when he would do a classroom visit"
• Now thinking about recording classroom visits to enhance feedback

Kindergarten Framing:

• Told students: "We're all learning at the same time"
• Referenced early internet days to be relatable
• "I'm not sitting in front of you telling you I have all the answers"

Cultural Challenges with AI in Schools

Parent Handbook Issue:

• Recording students creates ethical/legal concerns
• Need to update parent handbook with "quality assurance" type language
• Risk of "pissing off certain parents"

Faculty Resistance:

• "Dealing with people not inclined in any way to do any of this"
• Showing better methods can be taken personally
• Balance: Don't want to lose good faculty, but want creative thinkers

Chris's 2026 Prediction:

• "Culture conflict is gonna be real in organizations in 2026"
• People for, against, scared, optimistic about AI
• Enrollment concerns: "We don't wanna create a scare... dealing with people's kids"

Innovator's Dilemma:

• "Easier to just start new than correct from within"
• But Chris believes "you can move an organization" with bright people and time
• Requires "good attrition" of personnel

Vatican Blockchain Project

Current Status:

• Caught up with Jill over holidays
• Pushing blockchain concept forward
• Bob Udell (dinner host from previous meeting) "very into this project"

Three Use Cases:

1. Sacramental Records on blockchain
2. Commemorative coins for World Youth Day in Korea (2 years)
3. Vatican Media assets verifiable on chain

Chris's Thesis:

"If AI can create independent content that's unreliable, blockchain is going to be the antidote."

Challenges:

• Vatican very slow/deliberate
• "Don't have mental capacity or expertise to think two steps ahead"
• Olympics coming to Italy distracting attention
• Need to go bottoms-up but "not too quickly" or culture gets disrupted
• Can't launch alone: needs blockchain dev, small team

Jill's Advice from Vatican Contact:

• Someone high up told her: "If there's a way to make money, go do it"
• Don't worry about appearing to be profiteering

Starting Point:

• Can do sacramental records at St. Teresa on blockchain as pilot
• Concern: "What happens if something gets hacked?"

Chris's Parenting App

Problem:

• Emails/notifications about daughter come in "20 forms"
• 5 specialized apps for club volleyball
• "All the shit in my daughter's life" is stressful for wife

Solution:

• Building product to capture and digest all parenting notifications
• "Vibe coded it" - got from docs to function in one hour

Chris's Selling Style:

• "I like to sell by showing something to somebody in the moment"
• "I don't like copying a concept"
• Show real-world problem → here's how it's resolved

Living Situation & Connections

Gary's New Apartment:

• Short walk from smoothie shop
• Near Central Market, H-E-B, lots of restaurants
• Living with Dawson (helping with YouTube consultancy)
• Moved from temporary South Austin situation (grateful to Pat but "not the most clean or buttoned up")

8VC/Joe Lonsdale Connection:

• Gary's housemate (Dawson) does Joe Lonsdale's podcast
• Chris: "That's a crew you could make. They host things all the time."
• More openness to experimentation in Austin than other places

Key Quotes

Gary on ESA Outreach:

"I'm kind of worried that he's [Lt. Gov] not getting the word out. One of the best vectors to get the word out so that there's a lot of applicants for the program... is going through church networks."

Chris on AI Teaching:

"The principal told me that he thought it was more effective than when he would do a classroom visit. Already."

Chris on Culture Conflict:

"Culture conflict is gonna be real in organizations in 2026. You've got your people who are for, your people who are against, people who are scared, people who are optimistic."

Chris on Blockchain Thesis:

"If AI can create independent content that's unreliable, blockchain is going to be the antidote. So I suspect there will be a blockchain conference there [Vatican] two or three years from now."

Chris on Innovation in Existing Orgs:

"I've always been a little more skeptical of that mentality [start new vs. correct from within]. I do think if you're working with really bright people and you're in a culture change, you can do things. You can move an organization. But it does take time."

Action Items / Takeaways

• Gary: Connect with Lt. Governor Dan Patrick about ESA church outreach
• Gary: Potentially talk to St. Ignatius about ESA program
• Chris: Continue AI elective, refine recording/feedback workflow
• Chris: Update parent handbook for AI recording practices
• Chris: Push Vatican blockchain project, start with St. Teresa sacramental records pilot
• Both: Gary invited Chris to Jan 29th Applied AI event (Chris checking Margo's volleyball schedule)

Relationship Dynamics

• Easy, casual rapport (met at smoothie shop near Gary's apartment)
• Chris treating Gary as peer collaborator on Catholic education initiatives
• Mutual interest in AI education and church network strategy
• Chris connected Gary to potential Catholic school contacts (St. Ignatius)