
Episode #41
#37 Ben Schiff – Building AltrXego and Betting on Guam’s Future
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 Subscribe to Data Points for more conversations with the business owners, executives and community leaders shaping Guam’s future.

