Building a business on Guam means learning how to adapt when things do not go according to plan.

In this episode of Data Points, Ryan talks with Ben Schiff, CEO of AltrXego Entertainment, about building his company from the ground up, surviving setbacks that threatened the business and his vision for creating a stronger entertainment and tourism ecosystem on Guam.

Ben moved to Guam as a child and spent years working alongside his father at Wise Owl Animal Hospital. Watching his father rebuild a business from scratch taught him an early lesson: if you stay with something long enough, you can build practically anything.

Years later, Ben found his own path through entertainment.

After hosting events, traveling to music festivals around the world and eventually working for a local festival, getting fired forced him to decide what came next. That moment became the beginning of AltrXego.

What started as trips bringing people from Guam and Saipan to international music festivals eventually expanded into production, events and experiences. Ben began taking Guam DJs and other talent abroad, reinvesting his earnings into production equipment and gradually turning a passion for entertainment into a sustainable company.

Then COVID made social gatherings impossible.

AltrXego pivoted into a drive-in movie theater and continued searching for experiences that existed elsewhere in the world but had not yet been built on Guam. The company later launched projects including the AltrVerse, Guam Selfie Museum and Guam DJ Academy.

Ben and Ryan discuss entrepreneurship, resilience, networking, mentorship, accepting rejection, surviving Typhoon Mawar, developing local talent and why Guam’s small size can create opportunities for people willing to execute.

They also explore a much bigger question: what could Guam become if the island invested more seriously in experiences, entertainment, culture and its own people?

Ben believes Guam does not need to reinvent its identity. It needs to showcase what already makes the island special — while giving local talent the platform and resources to take that identity to the rest of the world.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Introduction
01:17 – The meaning behind AltrXego
02:54 – Ben’s journey to Guam
06:37 – Learning resilience
09:55 – Discovering the world of music festivals
11:18 – Getting fired and starting AltrXego
14:17 – Manifestation and going all in
16:14 – Launching the company
17:45 – Exporting Guam talent
19:18 – Making the business sustainable
22:16 – Building AltrXego’s production capabilities
24:30 – COVID changes everything
25:54 – The drive-in movie theater
27:18 – Entrepreneurship, mentors and execution
31:07 – The power of networking
32:41 – Getting comfortable with rejection
36:06 – Creating unforgettable experiences
40:43 – AltrVerse and the Guam Selfie Museum
41:42 – Rebuilding after Typhoon Mawar
44:34 – Guam’s business community
49:08 – Investing in Guam tourism
52:05 – A vision for cultural attractions
56:38 – Supporting local talent
59:47 – Consistency and professionalism
1:01:30 – Creating the Guam DJ Academy
1:05:59 – Developing Guam’s next generation
1:06:23 – Closing thoughts

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