Free to The Public, World’s Largest Mental Health Day Festival Reveals Mainstage Sessions with NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns, Actor, Host and Author Terry Crews, #1 New York Times Bestseller & Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, Nina Westbrook, Licensed Therapist, and More

Gala, Hosted by Carson Daly, Co-Anchor of NBC’s “Today” and Host of “The Voice,” To Honor Chris Barbin, Founder and CEO of Tercera with the 2026 “Humanitarian of The Year,” Nespresso as “Corporate Visionary of the Year”

Previously announced TV Creator Bill Lawrence Honored as “Storyteller of the Year”; Naeem Khan, The Evening’s Artistic Curator and Fashion Designer to The Stars, To Unveil Beyond the Glitter, An Interactive Installation Highlighting The Intersection of Fashion And Mental Health; DJ Samantha Ronson to Bring Her Signature Sound To The Nonprofit’s Gala

Festival To Feature Full Day of Conversations, Movement, Music, Creativity and Immersive Experiences with Fitness Influencers and Puppies to Foster Community and Connection

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NEW YORK, Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Project Healthy Minds, the leading mental health tech nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to mental health services across the United States, today announced new details for its two highly anticipated annual events: its fourth annual World Mental Health Day Gala on Thursday, October 8th; and its fifth annual World Mental Health Day Festival, taking place Saturday, October 10. Both events will be held at New York City’s Spring Studios.

FESTIVAL NEWS
Free to the public, the fifth annual gathering, held on Saturday, October 10th, is grounded in six pillars: Connect, Move, Restore, Reflect, Create and Care. Considered the world’s largest public event on World Mental Health Day, the festivities unite world-renowned thought leaders, celebrities, authors and sports personalities for a full day of conversations and experiences addressing what has been called “the defining public health issue of our time.”

Attendees will have an opportunity to connect and engage in conversations tackling some of the most urgent and culturally relevant questions surrounding mental health today. The dynamic lineup of changemakers and visionaries onsite includes: Karl-Anthony Towns, NBA Champion and New York Knicks star whose personal conversation will be moderated by Rich Kleiman, Boardroom Co-Founder and CEO; Terry Crews, actor, host, author and Global Ambassador of Wellbeing for Wellhub; Jonathan Haidt, social psychologist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of “The Anxious Generation”; Nina Westbrook, licensed marriage and family therapist, former college athlete and Founder. Hands-on activations and fitness classes will be led Sydney Miller, founder and CEO of HOUSEWORK; Kelsey Wells, global fitness trainer & mental health advocate; Becs Gentry, Peloton Instructor and ultramarathon runner; Timm Chiusano, author; Joe Gonzales, founder of Brooklyn Stroll Club; Jack Bauer, certified breathwork facilitator, mindfulness coach and fitness instructor; plus an award-winning puppy yoga class hosted by Puppy Sphere™. More to be announced!

Timely sessions will explore mental health through the lens of music, motherhood, entertainment, identity, performance and technology. Panels will include: “Turning Tragedy Into Triumph: New York Knicks Star & NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns on Grief, Loss, and High Performance,” “What Tech Crowds Out” with Jonathan Haidt and “Who Am I Now: Getting Ready for Change” with Terry Crews. Additional sessions and workshops to be announced. 

Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Festival 2026 is sponsored by Propel, Nespresso, ENOUGH, World of Hyatt, lululemon, and Wellhub.

GALA NEWS
On the evening of Thursday, October 8, Project Healthy Minds will host its fourth annual World Mental Health Day Gala at New York’s Spring Studios. The event supports the nonprofit’s mission to connect over 10 million Americans with mental health services over the next decade.

Hosted by Carson Daly, co-anchor of NBC’s “TODAY,” host and producer of NBC’s “The Voice,” and a member of Project Healthy Minds Board of Directors, the special evening will feature the presentation of Project Healthy Minds’ annual honors including Chris Barbin, Founder and CEO of Tercera, will receive the Project Healthy Minds Humanitarian of the Year Award; Nespresso will receive the Project Healthy Minds Corporate Visionary of the Year Award; and as previously announced, Bill Lawrence, who serves as the executive producer of five TV series including “Shrinking,” “Ted Lasso,” “Scrubs,” “Rooster” and “Bad Monkey,” will receive the 2026 Project Healthy Minds Storyteller of the Year Award, presented by 2024’s honoree Michael D. Ratner, Founder & CEO of OBB, CEO of Fanatics Studios, Co-Founder & Co-Executive Chairman of rhode and Gala Dinner Chair. Renowned DJ Samantha Ronson will provide the evening’s soundtrack with a high-energy set, with special guests including Jack Goldburg, founder of Jack’s Dining Room & Yes Chef Group and more. The event will also feature a special to be announced musical performance.

Adding a special dimension to the evening, Naeem Khan, world-renowned fashion designer and the Gala’s Artistic Curator, will bring to life his interactive “Beyond the Glitter” installation, an immersive exploration of the intersection of fashion and mental health. Known for his work with Beyoncé, the Kardashians, Sabrina Carpenter, Priyanka Chopra and Michelle Obama, Khan will use fashion, light and visual storytelling to examine the tension between outward radiance and the inner realities we all carry and invite guests to consider what exists beneath the surface, and how the way we see ourselves can shape the way we experience the world.

2026 Dinner Chairs include OBB’s Ratner and his wife Lauren Ratner, Co-Founder, rhode; co-anchor of TODAY and NBC News Chief Legal Correspondent Savannah Guthrie and her husband, Mike Feldman, Partner, Co-Chairman, North America, FGS Global; Joseph and Jacqui Canney, Chief People and AI Enablement Officer, ServiceNow; Kalen Irsay Jackson, Owner & Chief Brand Officer, Indianapolis Colts; Motive Partners Chair Jeff Yabuki who with his wife Gail, direct the Yabuki Family Foundation; Rich Kleiman, Co-Founder & CEO, Boardroom, and his wife Jana Kleiman; Joanne and Navid Mahmoodzadegan, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Moelis & Company; CEO, Thrive Hospitality and famed event planner Colin Cowie and Daniel Peuscovich; Jennifer Koman, Founder, The Little Things, and Jim Koman, Chief Executive Officer & Founder, ElmTree Funds; PepsiCo Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer Becky Schmitt; former president of Marc Jacobs, Carolyn Risoli; and Joe Silvestri, Co-Founder, Managing Partner & Head of Industrials, Court Square Capital; ESPN college sports reporter Jessica Sims, influential fitness expert, speaker and instructor; Ronnie and Michael Kassan, Founder, 3C Ventures; Marc Jacobs’ Chief Marketing Officer, Head of Digital, Kristin Patrick; Bushra and Atif Zaim, Deputy Chair and Managing Principal, KPMG U.S.; and digital content creator Kat Stickler.

Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Gala is sponsored by PepsiCo and OBB.

Phillip Schermer, Project Healthy Minds Founder and CEO, said: “Mental health is not one issue among many facing modern culture. It’s the thread running through every other question we’re asking about who we are and where we’re going.” He added, “You cannot understand this century through its technology, politics, or economics alone. You have to understand its mindset. That is what we gather to do: put the loneliness epidemic and the return of the run club on the same stage, because they’re the same story told twice. Once as the wound, once as the healing. And we do it free and open to anyone, because you don’t need a diagnosis to belong in this room.”

Gala host and Project Healthy Minds Board of Directors member Carson Daly added: “Every fall, this community reminds me why I keep showing up for this work. The Festival and Gala have grown into something bigger than an event. They’re proof that when people talk openly about mental health, real change follows. I’m honored to serve on this Board and grateful to everyone who gives their time, energy and resources to keep this movement going.”

Past Festival and Gala participants and honorees have included Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Demi Lovato, Sophia Bush, Arianna Huffington, Katie Couric, Chance the Rapper, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Sanaa Lathan, Dr. Becky Kennedy and more.

Additional honorees, presenters and performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

ABOUT PROJECT HEALTHY MINDS:
Project Healthy Minds is a Millennial & Gen Z-driven mental health tech nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to mental health services across the United States for every community. Project Healthy Minds focuses on three programmatic areas: (1) destigmatizing mental health by mobilizing culture-makers; (2) expanding access to mental health services through the world’s first free digital mental health marketplace; and (3) advocating for innovative workplace investments in employee mental health. Project Healthy Minds’ programmatic initiatives have served more than 500,000 people. For more information, visit www.projecthealthyminds.com.

PRESS CONTACT:
FerenComm on behalf of Project Healthy Minds
TeamPHM@ferencomm.com

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SOURCE Project Healthy Minds