At a moment when the world feels increasingly digitized yet deeply disconnected, Search Institute is doubling down on the one thing technology can never replace: human connection.
For 60 years, we have proven that relationships are the "active ingredient" in young people’s growth—fueling belonging, purpose, agency, and contribution. As we enter an era where artificial intelligence can mimic empathy, while a growing lack of real connection leaves many young people feeling isolated, it is more important than ever that Search Institute’s research and resources are actively integrated into everyday practice, relationships, and systems that support youth. The next chapter of our work is ensuring that developmental science shapes the systems, environments, and everyday practices that surround young people—essentially, their relational ecosystems.
To help Search Institute meet this moment, we are excited to announce that Dr. David Torres has joined our leadership team as Chief Growth Officer (CGO).
Building the Infrastructure for Youth Thriving
Search Institute is committed to strengthening the relational ecosystems across the places young people live, learn, and grow. David joins us to help create the organizational conditions and operating models that allow our decades of deep research to reach the widest possible audience. His focus is on ensuring that our developmental science becomes the "floor," not the ceiling, for positive youth development.
"We are at a point where investment in tech and AI is far outpacing our investment in the human systems that young people need to thrive,” says Torres. “While this creates new opportunities in a rapidly changing world, it may be missing the human anchor required for healthy development. The science is clear: we are social beings who develop through relationships. Search Institute is uniquely positioned to be that anchor, and my focus is on building the systems that allow our decades of expertise to scale alongside technical progress."
From Research to Reality
David’s arrival marks a pivotal step in Search Institute’s evolution from a leading applied research organization to a field catalyst that helps systems translate science into everyday practice. Previously the founding CGO at In Tandem and CEO of ExpiWell, David holds a Ph.D. from Purdue University, where he studied the intersection of human-centered design and strategic management. He joins us to help ensure that in order for our science to be impactful, it must first be accessible.
"Dave joins Search Institute at a pivotal moment,” says CEO Dr. Benjamin Houltberg. “Our new strategic direction focuses on strengthening the relational ecosystems that surround young people—aligning research, practice, and systems so every young person has the relationships and opportunities they need to thrive. Dave brings the strategic vision and operational leadership needed to move our research from insight to impact—ensuring educators, coaches, mentors, and communities can put it into practice every day toward this end.”
Doubling Down on the Human Signal
We recognize that technological advancement is not the enemy of progress; rather, it is a tool that requires a human anchor. In an era that prioritizes the speed of automation, Search Institute believes that scaling the power of development science, neuroscience, and relationships requires the same level of intentional investment, scientific rigor, and systemic infrastructure.
Based now in the Midwest, David joins a collective effort to ensure that as our world scales technically, we also scale relationally. We continue our commitment to put our research into action, ensuring that this generation of young people experiences the deep sense of belonging necessary to thrive. Together, we are doubling down on the human signal—equipping the educators, coaches, and mentors shaping the next generation with the actionable, evidence-based tools they need to foster genuine connection at the scale this moment demands.
