Mt. Joy, Dasha, Chelsea Cutler, Matt Quinn and Corey Harper Join Future Friends Campus Series, Supporting Mental Wellness Events at Universities Nationwide

IRVINGTON, NY, September 1, 2026 (EZ Newswire) — Two Bridge, a healthcare platform confronting the global crisis of loneliness and youth mental wellness, today announced the artist lineup for the fall 2026 Future Friends Campus Series, a nationwide expansion of its campus-based mental wellness programming. Indie rock band Mt. Joy will headline the season opener at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on September 30 and October 1; country artist Dasha and Mt. Joy frontman Matt Quinn will headline at the University of Michigan on October 5 and 6, where Dasha will also host a line dancing activation; and singer-songwriter Chelsea Cutler will headline at Indiana University Bloomington on October 28 and 29, with folk singer-songwriter Corey Harper opening. Spring 2027 dates, including participating universities and artists, will be announced at a later date.    

College students today are navigating unprecedented mental overload leading to stress, anxiety and serious mental wellness issues; nearly three in four college students report moderate to severe psychological distress. In addition to loneliness and a lack of belonging due to digital overload — adults who spend more than two hours a day on social media are roughly twice as likely to report increased social isolation as those who spend less than 30 minutes a day — students are dealing with financial pressures, with nearly 80% saying financial stress negatively impacts their mental health. Most of this distress never reaches a clinical threshold, but it steadily erodes connection, belonging, and well-being. Over the past 20 years, young adults have seen their daily in-person time with friends drop from 150 minutes to just 40 minutes. All of these factors have contributed to making the 15-24 year old age group the loneliest demographic globally, with 1 in 5 adolescents worldwide stating they experience loneliness, which can often lead to students unenrolling from their program.

Two Bridge’s solution to solving the loneliness epidemic isn’t an app or screen. Drawing on 35 years of healthcare experience, 15 years focused specifically on mental wellness, and the last 5 years analyzing dozens of mental wellness founders and startups, Two Bridge concluded that shared culture, community, and accessible support are among the most effective responses available to address the epidemic — and built Future Friends to prove it.

“Students don’t need another app or lecture telling them to take care of their mental health. They need more reasons to put their phones down, look up, and connect with the people around them. Future Friends creates those opportunities,” says Harris Schwartzberg, founder of Two Bridge and co-founder of Future Friends Campus Series. “Study after study shows that human connection is essential to a happy, healthy life. Through shared experiences, authentic conversation, campus resources and music, we create moments where students feel less alone and more connected. Mental wellness is woven throughout, but it’s never forced, it’s simply part of the experience. That authenticity extends to the artists we work with. Mt. Joy, Chelsea Cutler, Dasha, Matt Quinn and Corey Harper genuinely care about mental wellness and the power of connection. We’re thrilled to have them helping us build community on campus.”

Built around lived experience rather than apps or technology, Future Friends meets students where they already are, creating space for reflection, belonging, and community care. Over each campus visit, Future Friends programming highlights include:

• Common Denominator Screening: Two Bridge’s original docuseries hosted by Maurice Dubois, featuring artist Peter Tunney, Noah Kahan and the late Gavin Creel, focused on how music, art, and candid conversation help us explore identity and connection
• Life Saving Power of Human Connection with Kevin Hines: Acclaimed mental health activist, speaker and bestselling author shares his inspiring story of survival, resilience and how human connection saved his life
• Movement & Meditation: A guided yoga and mindfulness workshop open to newbies and yogis alike
• Boots & Besties: A high-energy line dancing experience led by professional instructors and special guests, and featuring music from DJ duo Country Night, Boots & Besties pairs movement with real conversation about mental wellness. Country star Dasha will host Boots & Besties at University of Michigan, in addition to headlining a musical performance
• Future Fund$: A lighthearted financial literacy competition covering budgeting, credit, and saving for long-term confidence
• Social Club Phone-Free Social, with Kanso: A phone-free hangout built around music, games, and prompt-card conversation, presented with digital wellness experience brand Kanso
• Marquee Live Musical Performance: An unforgettable night of music,creating direct connection between students and the artists they love

2026–2027 Future Friends Campus Series Schedule

• Sept. 30 – Oct. 1, 2026: University of Wisconsin–Madison, featuring Mt. Joy
• Oct. 5–6, 2026: University of Michigan, featuring Dasha and Mt. Joy frontman Matt Quinn
• Oct. 28–29, 2026: Indiana University Bloomington, featuring Chelsea Cutler and Corey Harper

61% of young adults ages 18–25 report experiencing profound loneliness, and 65% say it significantly impacts their mental health. That erosion in face-to-face connection tracks directly with the rise in student mental overload, and it’s exactly the gap Future Friends is built to close. By using music and culture as an entry point rather than clinical language, integrating trusted mental health resources directly into the experience, and scaling through repeatable, in-person activations, Future Friends is built to address mental overload before it becomes crisis-level; campus by campus, weekend by weekend.

The early concept for Future Friends Campus Series first launched in 2017 in at University of Michigan, when Two Bridge hosted “Who Can Relate,” a four-day mental wellness stigma reduction event with Grammy nominated artist Logic and Tony and Emmy Award winning actress Glenn Close. The response was overwhelming with a sold-out audience of 4,500 student, faculty and mental health professionals in attendance. Future Friends Campus Series officially launched during the fall 2025 school year, with North Carolina State University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, featuring performances from 2025 VMA’s New Artist of the Year, Alex Warren, speakers Kevin Hines and Zac Clark, alongside the program’s full mental wellness activations. The results were undeniable: students showed up hungry for in-person, community-driven experiences, validating the program’s core premise that connection — not more technology — is what students are missing. To further Future Friends’ impact, Two Bridge has partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to integrate their mental health resources, crisis services, and local peer support into campus life.

Future Friends Campus Series’ mental wellness programming is free to attend for all currently enrolled students at participating universities. A nominal donation to an aligned mental wellness non-profit organization will be required for students to attend the live music performance. For information on Future Friends Campus Series, including specific campus schedules, RSVP details, donation/ticketing details, campus resources and more, please visit FutureFriends.org.

About Future Friends Campus Series

Future Friends Campus Series is a free, two-day mental wellness experience created by Two Bridge to combat the crisis facing today’s college students. Presented in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Future Friends meets students exactly where they are, using music, movement, and shared culture to create the authentic, in-person connection that college students crave most. Each stop brings live performances, wellness activations, and trusted mental health resources directly to campus, giving students real tools and real community to support their well-being long after the weekend ends. Future Friends, co-founded by Two Bridge founder Harris Schwartzberg, Sabrina Schwartzberg and music industry veteran Corey McGuire, first launched in fall 2025 at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and expands to additional universities nationwide for the 2026–2027 school year. For more information, visit FutureFriends.org.

About Two Bridge

Two Bridge is a healthcare platform building community and human connection through music, storytelling, and shared experience. Harris Schwartzberg launched Two Bridge in honor of his late brother, Steven, and has spent nearly two decades advancing mental wellness through philanthropy, education, and programs for high school and college students. That commitment lives through Two Bridge’s core programming; Future Friends Campus Series, Common Denominator, and Two Bridge Support, with ancillary Two Bridge events that utilize music, storytelling, and shared experience to strengthen communities and address the epidemic of loneliness and youth mental health. Two Bridge’s work is supported by Two Bridge Foundation, a dedicated 501c3. For more information visit two-bridge.com.

Media Contact

Kirby Allison
kirby@kirbyallisonpr.com

SOURCE: Two Bridge