New York – September 20, 2026 -- Project Healthy Minds, a mental health tech nonprofit, will host its fourth annual World Mental Health Day Gala on Thursday, October 8, and its fifth annual World Mental Health Day Festival on Saturday, October 10, both at New York's Spring Studios. The nonprofit says its programmatic initiatives have already served more than 500,000 people, with a goal of connecting over 10 million Americans to mental health services over the next decade.
Nespresso and Tercera CEO Chris Barbin to receive top corporate and humanitarian honors
At the gala, Chris Barbin, Founder and CEO of Tercera, will receive the Humanitarian of the Year Award, while Nespresso will be named Corporate Visionary of the Year. Bill Lawrence, executive producer of TV series including "Shrinking" and "Ted Lasso," will receive the Storyteller of the Year Award, presented by 2024 honoree Michael D. Ratner of OBB and Fanatics Studios. The gala is sponsored by PepsiCo and OBB and hosted by NBC "TODAY" co-anchor Carson Daly, who sits on the nonprofit's Board of Directors.
Corporate dinner chairs include ServiceNow, Moelis & Company and KPMG executives
2026 gala dinner chairs include ServiceNow Chief People and AI Enablement Officer Jacqui Canney, Moelis & Company CEO and Co-Founder Navid Mahmoodzadegan, PepsiCo Chief People Officer Becky Schmitt, and KPMG U.S. Deputy Chair Bushra Zaim. Fashion designer Naeem Khan, known for work with Beyoncé and Michelle Obama, will curate an interactive installation titled "Beyond the Glitter" examining fashion's intersection with mental health. DJ Samantha Ronson will perform.
Free public festival draws NBA champion Karl-Anthony Towns and bestselling author Jonathan Haidt
The October 10 festival, free to the public and sponsored by Propel, Nespresso, ENOUGH, World of Hyatt, lululemon and Wellhub, will feature New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns in a session moderated by Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, alongside actor Terry Crews and "The Anxious Generation" author Jonathan Haidt. Fitness and wellness activations will be led by trainers including Kelsey Wells and Peloton instructor Becs Gentry, alongside a puppy yoga session hosted by Puppy Sphere.
Phillip Schermer, Project Healthy Minds Founder and CEO, said mental health has become the defining thread connecting technology, politics and economics discussions this century.