By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ/First Place Global; Co-Founder, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; and Matt’s Mom We had packed it all: extra meds and…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ/First Place Global; Co-Founder, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; and Matt’s Mom The early 1990s feel like a different lifetime….
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ/First Place Global; Co-Founder, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; and Matt’s Mom For many families, Independence Day means backyard barbecues,…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ/First Place Global; Co-Founder, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; and Matt’s Mom In preparation for Matt’s 35th year and the…
By: Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ/First Place Global, SARRC Co-Founder and Matt’s Mom I know it’s neither advisable nor helpful to lean into the “would have,…
By Denise D. Resnik, First Place Global Founder, President/CEO & Matt’s Mom I’ll never forget my conversation two decades ago with a loving 80-year-old mother who had been forced to…
By Denise D. Resnik, First Place Global Founder, President/CEO & Matt’s Mom I’m energized by how leaders are staying in touch, comparing and sharing notes, and moving work forward together…
By Denise D. Resnik, First Place Global Founder, President/CEO & Matt’s Mom I’m still thinking about the shared experiences from the Dimensions™ 2025 symposium and moments between formal presentations: bus…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ and Desiree Kameka Galloway, Director, Autism Housing Network At 6:45 each morning, Marcus checks the transit app, grabs his packed…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ Last week, In Business Magazine honored 15 leaders from different sectors of the Phoenix economy during the 2025 Women of…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ and Desiree Kameka Galloway, Director, Autism Housing Network Families of people with profound autism and complex medical needs are often…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ and Desiree Kameka Galloway, Director, Autism Housing Network Millions of adults with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities across the U.S. have…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ and Desiree Kameka Galloway, Director, Autism Housing Network For developers already building affordable, market-rate or supportive housing, this overlooked population…
Whether it’s counting down to a birthday trip, planning a milestone move or preparing for a first job, anticipation is a powerful force—one we can harness in our communities with…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO Just as life is not linear, neither is community building. First Place AZ shows us that. People see the 81,000-square-foot First Place–Phoenix supportive…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO A persistent question begs a persistent answer: What can we do together that we cannot do alone? Myriad possibilities abound for trailblazers committed…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO Birthdays and anniversaries are not only times of celebration for me but also reflection. This month, we celebrated the 66th wedding anniversary of…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO Schoolhouse Rock filled our home with music for two decades. Dozens of Multiplication Rock, Science Rock, Grammar Rock and American Rock video cassettes…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO I’ve never seen anyone express as much joy cleaning their home as Matt Resnik. While I doubt he actually enjoys the loud vacuuming…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO Recharging. It’s something we do daily and in a variety of ways. Consider the lengths to which we’ll go as we plug in…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO Flip one’s wig (v.): To react to something, good or bad, with strong emotion Matt loves my hair. Always has. He likes playing…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO Plans for an eight-day trip to Ireland as part of my immersive experience as a Virginia G. Piper Fellow hit big snags in…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO Long before a shovel of dirt was ever turned, I had been turning sugar packets, saltshakers, salsa dispensers—and whatever else I had at…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO The “boost” on electric bikes offers riders (like me) added confidence on hilly terrain. But what happens when you run out of power?…
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO I remember my early days of learning how to dive from the big board. I practiced my form from the safety of the…
