Opening Doors: A Youth Development Summit 2025 – Breaking Down Silos, Centering Humanity

On September 25, 2025, The Door proudly hosted its inaugural Opening Doors: A Youth Development Summit, a sold-out gathering that drew nearly 200 nonprofit leaders, government partners, philanthropic allies, and practitioners committed to transforming the future of youth development. Focused on youth mental health, the summit created a space where collaboration, innovation, and leadership came together under one roof—firmly positioning The Door as a convener and thought leader at the center of the national conversation. 

The day began with reflections from Kelsey Louie, CEO of The Door and Broome Street Academy, who welcomed the audience with a powerful reminder of why centering young people must remain at the heart of our collective work.  His remarks underscored the urgency of the moment: the youth mental health crisis continues to escalate, and the systems meant to respond are strained and siloed. The summit, he noted, was designed to break down barriers and unite leaders across sectors who are committed to building something stronger together. As Kelsey put it, “We are stronger than the storm, because we are in it together.”  

The highlight of the morning was a keynote from Elisa Crespo, Executive Director of the Stonewall Community Foundation, who brought the day full circle by returning to The Door—not as a participant, but as a leader and changemaker. “You are here to pour into the next generation. To open doors, and not just open them, but keep them open. To knock the doors down. Our young people are ready. They are resilient and brilliant. All they need is to be shown what is possible.” shared Elisa with the audience. Her story of once seeking services at The Door and now shaping national conversations around equity and justice set the tone for the summit: lived experience is not just valuable, it is essential to driving systems change. 

Throughout the day, attendees engaged with a lineup of some of the most respected and influential leaders in New York City and beyond. Gregory Morris of NYCETC, Eva Wong from the Office of Community Mental Health, Beatriz de la Torre of Trinity Church, and Laurel Dumont of the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation joined forces in conversation about reimagining mental health systems through cross-sector collaboration.  Their discussion highlighted the need for philanthropy, government, and community organizations to bridge divides and develop scalable, equitable solutions anchored in shared purpose and walking boldly beside youth.  

The afternoon’s panels and breakout sessions continued to push boundaries, offering both big-picture vision and practical strategies. Dr. Dana Crawford of the Crawford Bias Reduction Theory & Training Center, Steph Cadet of The Door, Dr. Carla Smith of The LGBT Community Center, and Dr. Warren Ng of Columbia University Medical Center explored what it means to truly “meet the moment” for young people, centering inclusion and innovation in service delivery, reminding us that connection and hope are the surest antidote to fear. 

Breakout sessions led by Jennifer Curry and Taejha Richardson of Change Impact dove into the challenges of building and sustaining a thriving youth development workforce, while Dr. Michael Lindsey of NYU Silver and Kelsey Louie examined bold and equitable solutions to addressing the shortage of culturally-responsive mental health practitioners in the field. Meanwhile, Dr. Crawford’s workshop on ethical practice in an anti-DEI climate gave practitioners concrete tools for resilience and care in an era of opposition.  

What made Opening Doors stand out was not just the impressive roster of speakers but the energy of the room itself. Nearly 200 attendees filled Trinity Commons, eager to exchange ideas, challenge assumptions, and begin building the partnerships that will carry forward long after the day ended. From the opening breakfast to the closing happy hour, the summit was buzzing with new collaborations and a sense of shared purpose. It was clear to everyone present that this was not just another conference—it was the beginning of a movement. 

As the summit closed, the message was unmistakable: the future of this work depends on our collective commitment to stand with one another and with young people — to resist disconnection by choosing collaboration over competition. The inaugural Opening Doors summit left participants asking how they can help lead what comes next. 

The Door is committed to building on this momentum and making Opening Doors the largest and most impactful youth development conference in the country. We are proud to have launched what will become an annual tradition, and we invite our community to join us in shaping the future of youth development and mental health together. 

The Door is grateful for the support of our Opening Doors sponsors including, The Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, Trinity Church Philanthropies, Ichigo Foundation, the Solon E. Summerfield Foundation, Carmel Hill Fund, The Coalition of Youth Development Intermediaries, En Pointe Consulting, and Bombas. Together, we are opening doors to possibility, equity, and wellness for every young person.