Benjamin Houltberg, Ph.D., LMFT

“In a world changing faster than ever, the most powerful investment we can make is in the relationships that help young people become who they are meant to be.”

Dr. Benjamin Houltberg, a developmental scientist, former tenured faculty member and experienced marriage and family therapist, has been president and CEO of Search Institute since 2021. He feels strongly about the role of youth development work and has a sense of purpose around investing in a generation that will have tremendous impact not only on the future, but the here and now.

As CEO, he amplifies the message of a shared responsibility to promote youth thriving, while also inspiring Search Institute to always have the organization’s vision in mind. He works closely with Search Institute’s many partners and is focused on recruiting a diverse group of talented individuals to address the needs of the communities that the organization serves. Search Institute’s work is firmly positioned to deliver research-backed, actionable solutions that youth-serving individuals and organizations can implement to create an environment that ensures young people feel seen, heard and valued.

He is widely published on topics such as adolescent social and emotional development, resilience through relationships, and character and identity development through sports. As a licensed counselor, Ben has worked extensively with young people, all with vastly different lived experiences and varying supports needed to promote thriving. Having served as a youth practitioner, he has a unique perspective on both research and practice. He has successfully led large research teams, consulted with several high-performance organizations to create thriving cultures, and developed tools and resources aimed at promoting resilience through relationships. 

"At the intersection of research and practice, we find that relationships are the ultimate vehicle for transformation. While curriculum is important, it falls short without a relational foundation where youth feel seen, heard, and valued. By shifting our focus from deficits to assets, we honor the 'spark' within every young person, acknowledging their capacity to be catalysts for change in the present moment."

He has held academic positions at Purdue University–Fort Wayne, Fuller School of Psychology, and the University of Southern California where he continues to hold an appointment of Associate Professor of Research and often guest lectures in the classroom and advises on data-informed approaches to creating a high performing culture in the Athletic Department. His experience competing at an elite level, in college and professionally, fuels his purpose to promote relational and emotional health in high achieving contexts. He holds a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Oklahoma State University and an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling.

He is a founding member of Hope Sports and True North and continues to serve in an advisory role to both organizations. He also serves on the Youth Development Strategy Table. He previously served on the board of directors for Harambee Ministries, an out-of-school time organization in California, and was part of a working group for the Page Amendment in Minnesota. Recent publications include a chapter in the Handbook of Research on Student Engagement, Developmental Relationships and Student Motivation: Current Research and Future Directions, Effects of developmental relationships on the well-being of youth in high-stress families for Family Relations, Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Science and Facilitating Relationship-Building Online for Positive Adolescent Development in the Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.