Empathy, the technology company transforming how the world plans for and deals with life’s hardest moments, today announced “What Grows Here,” a public art installation coming to Vanderbilt Hall® in Grand Central Terminal on August 20 and 21, 2026. The two-day activation invites New Yorkers to be part of the art experience, to pause and reflect on memory and legacy, timed to Grief Awareness Day (August 30) and Make-A-Will Month during the month of August.

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“What Grows Here”, A Two-Day Activation In Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall® Invites New Yorkers To Reflect On Grief And Legacy Ahead of Grief Awareness Day And Make-A-Will Month

“What Grows Here”, A Two-Day Activation In Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall® Invites New Yorkers To Reflect On Grief And Legacy Ahead of Grief Awareness Day And Make-A-Will Month

The installation is part of a larger campaign, Legacies live on. Own yours. Honor theirs., which reflects Empathy’s belief that legacy belongs to everyone, whether someone is preparing their own or honoring someone else’s. Visitors are invited to write a note to someone they love, someone they miss, someone they’d like to honor, or as a reminder to themselves about the legacy they are building. Each note is then attached to a stalk of wheat, becoming part of a living, growing installation, a collective portrait built from thousands of individual memories and legacies.

The installation arrives at a moment when many Americans are increasingly managing grief and legacy planning without the support they need. Empathy research has found that:

  • Twenty-seven percent of Americans have never discussed end-of-life wishes with loved ones and do not plan to, and only 24% of adults reported having a will in 2025.1

  • And among younger generations, that gap is even wider: 41% of people ages 18-34 and 34% of people ages 35-54 have never discussed estate planning with anyone.2

  • Fifty-seven percent of families cite emotional or relational challenges as the main barrier to estate planning.

  • The emotional toll is significant as well. More than 65% of respondents in Empathy’s research said grief impacted their ability to participate in everyday activities, with 41.6% withdrawing socially from family and friends, and nearly 90% reporting anxiety during grief.

“Legacy isn’t just something we leave behind, it’s something we build every day, with the people we love and the memories we create together,” said Cindy Goodrich, Chief Marketing Officer of Empathy. “We wanted to bring that idea into one of the most public, most human crossroads in the world. Grand Central Terminal sees hundreds of thousands of people pass through it every day, each carrying their own story of love and loss. ‘What Grows Here’ is a chance to bring to life an often taboo topic in a very public way, and to pause in that rush and honor those stories, together.”

What Grows Here: Event Details

What: “What Grows Here,” a public art installation by Empathy inviting visitors to honor memory and legacy by attaching handwritten notes to a growing field. Free and open to the public.

When:

  • Thursday, August 20, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. EDT

  • Friday, August 21, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT

Where: Vanderbilt Hall®, Grand Central Terminal, 89 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017

Learn more and RSVP: www.events.empathy.com/whatgrowshere

About Empathy

Empathy is a leading technology company transforming how the world plans for and deals with life’s hardest moments with AI and human care, serving more than 50 million policyholders across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Empathy is backed by $162 million from top-tier venture firms such as Index Ventures, General Catalyst, Adams Street Partners, and other leading funds, alongside strategic investments from global financial institutions. Empathy offers comprehensive, expert guidance through bereavement, estate management, legacy planning, caregiving, leaves of absence, and more. Recognized by Apple, Google Play, and Fast Company, Empathy pairs technology built for scale with the kind of care only people can give, redefining the standard for what modern support looks like. Learn more at empathy.com.

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1 The Grief Tax, 2025

2 The Hidden Barriers to the Great Wealth Transfer, 2026

 

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