Denise Resnik is the founder and president/CEO of First Place^® AZ (established in 2012), co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC, established in 1997), and founder and CEO of DRA Collective, a marketing/communications firm (established in 1986) that servesclients in a variety of fields, includ- ing real estate, economic development, healthcare, education and hospitality. Her adult son Matt, who has autism, and others with different abilities inspire her work. A native Phoenician and international leader in Autism, Denise has raised community awareness and more than $85 million for Autism, primarilyfrom Arizona sources. The supportive community—facilitated by SARRC, First Place and dozens of partnering organizations—inspired PBS NewsHour to produce a two-part, na- tionally broadcast series citing Phoenix as “the most autism-friendly city in the world.”