Shows
Celebrate Your StoryHow One Woman REBUILT Her City for a More INCLUSIVE Future | with Denise ResnikThey said her son would never live on his own...now he thrives in the community she built. On this episode of Celebrate Your Story, I sit down with Denise Resnik, trailblazing founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center and First Place AZ. From her son's autism diagnosis at age two to reshaping real estate with purpose, Denise's story is one of innovation, advocacy, and unshakable love. She shares how she went from launching a real estate marketing firm to transforming blighted buildings into vibrant mixed-use housing communities that integrate people with autism, seniors...
2025-07-1746 min
The KIND Families PodcastA KIND Place for All, with Denise Resnik, Founder, President & CEO of First Place AZAs we approach the end of Autism Awareness/Acceptance month, I am honored to bring you a conversation with one of the true heroes of the autism community. When I took that quiz in 2014 which awakened me to the truth of Brady’s autism, it was the organization Denise co-founded, the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center, which provided the screener.
After her two-year old son Matt was diagnosed with autism, Denise was told to “love, accept, and plan to institutionalize” him. She refused to accept that kind of future for Matt, and so began her lifelong advocacy for th...
2025-04-2932 min
Civic Cipher062224 Denise Resnik on the Intersection of Autism and Blackness (Part 1)Send us a Text Message.The first part of today’s episode has us talking with Denise Resnik, the founder and president/CEO of First Place…an enterprise dedicated to helping those with autism transition into a routine-based adult life. As a result of her experience in this field, she is able to have an in-depth conversation about not just the effects of autism on families, communities, and society, but also to give insight into the particular pitfalls and problems that result from the intersection of life as a minority and as a person with autism.Su...
2024-06-2223 min
Civic Cipher062224 Denise Resnik on the Intersection of Autism and Blackness (Part 2)Send us a Text Message.In the second part of the show, we give a bit more time to Denise Resnik as she explains the cracks in society that neurodivergent individuals can fall into. We discuss interactions from police, housing issues, and economic opportunities and how challenging these can be for those with autism, as well as how problematic it can be when society gets it wrong.Support the Show.www.civiccipher.comFollow us: @CivicCipher @iamqward @ramsesjaConsideration for today's show was provided by: Major Threads menswear www...
2024-06-2222 min
Myth, Magic, MedicineMyth, Magic, Medicine S3 E11 Uzbekistan to CaliforniaHosted by Denise Billen-Mejia: www.healandberadiant.com
Guest Tatyana Resnik: www.joyfulsuccessliving.com
In this penultimate episode of "Myth, Magic, Medicine 2 (immigrant) doctors talking" I chat with Tatyana Resnick, who was a cardiologist in her homeland of Uzbekistan, and then came to the USA to start over.
Fueled by her childhood experience with her grandmother's illness, Tatyana's passion for medicine ignited at the tender age of 12 reading old medical texts.
Tatyana's journey took a turn as she prioritized raising her young daughter. She now enjoys her "day job" as a hospitalist and h...
2023-11-1945 min
Rescuers radio showFueling opportunities for people with autism – Denise ResnikDenise Resnik had no idea when her son Matt was born 31 years ago, his diagnosis of autism would not only impact his life and hers, but it would lead her to a life calling. Since then, she has made a better world for those dealing with autism and their families. She is co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), an internationally recognized nonprofit that conducts innovative research, provides evidence-based practices, disseminates effective training and builds inclusive communities for individuals with autism and their families. She also is founder of First Place AZ, a...
2022-07-1425 min
Accessible Housing Matters“A Place in the World” – How This 2020 Study Is Reshaping the Way We Think About Accessible HousingWelcome to Accessible Housing Matters! In today’s episode, I welcome Denise Resnik Denise 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 serves clients in a variety of fields, including real estate, economic development, healthcare, education, and hospitality. Her adult son Matt, who has autism, and others with different abilities inspire her work. Backed by more than 20 years of res...
2022-02-2832 min
ABCs of Disability PlanningFirst Place® w/ Denise Resnik ("Matt's Mom")Envisioned as a residential community development that aspires to catalyze international models, First Place® offers supportive housing and a residential transition program for individuals with autism and for other neurodiverse populations, as well as sites for education, training, and creative inspiration.
Website: https://www.firstplaceaz.org/
Contact them form: https://www.firstplaceaz.org/transition-academy/registration/
Facebook: @FirstPlaceAZ
Twitter: @FirstPlaceAZ
First Place–Phoenix is the culmination of nearly two decades of dedicated research, travel, and ideation. One of their noteworthy major studies is Opening Doors...
2022-01-3144 min
Vitalyst SparkE90: Stigma & Affordable HousingToday we’re joined by three bright and talented minds to talk about affordable housing in Arizona: what it means, what modern “affordable” housing actually looks like, and how outdated stigma and ideas about the American dream often hinders progress toward ensuring that everyone has a place to call home. Our guests include Denise Resnik, Founder and President/CEO of First Place AZ and co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), Dave Brown, CEO of Valley Leadership and Chair of Home Matters to AZ, and Gabriel Jaramillo, Director of Healthy Communities for Vitalyst Health Foundation.
2021-10-3051 min
Xceptional Leaders with Mai Ling Chan & James BergesLife Awaits for Adults with Autism with Denise ResnikOur guest on the show today is Denise Resnik, founder and CEO of First Place Apartments, a housing solution for adults with autism. Denise is also a co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). She shares her experiences as the mother of a son with autism, her inspiration for First Place and SARRC, and encourages us to dream big.
2019-01-1633 min
Exploring Different Brains2017 in Review, Part 2: Understanding & Supporting Neurodiversity | EDB 110In part two of a special two part episode of Exploring Different Brains, Hackie Reitman, M.D. presents words of wisdom from some of the great guests the show has had in 2017. For second first part, we are focusing on the parents, researchers, specialists and advocates that are working to help create a world of acceptance for those of us with different brains: Chris Stout, PsyD. (clinical psychologist, a philanthropist, entrepreneur, author, podcast host, a founding member of the Center for Global Initiatives, and the vice president of research and data analytics for ATI), Bankole A. Johnson, DSc, MD, MBChB...
2017-12-2710 min
Exploring Different BrainsHousing on the Autism Spectrum, with Denise Resnik of First Place AZ and SARRC | EDB 101In this episode, Dr. Hackie Reitman speaks with Denise Resnick. Denise is the Founder, President, and Board Chair of First Place AZ-a nonprofit dedicate to developing new, innovative housing options for adults with autism and other special abilities, as well as co-founder of SARRC (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center). Denise discusses the First Place AZ mission, her own experiences with an adult child on the autism spectrum, and supporting individuals with autism and their families throughout their lifetimes.
For more about First Place AZ, visit: http://www.firstplaceaz.org/
For more information on SARRC (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center) visit...
2017-10-1827 min
Arizona OriginalsDenise Resnik - DRA Collective, SARRC, First Place AZToday's guest is Denise Resnik - the founder and CEO of DRA Collective, co-founder of the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), and founder and president/CEO of First Place AZ. The mother of an adult son on the autism spectrum, Denise has not only run her marketing and communications business, but she has dedicated herself to giving back to her community, including making Arizona a leader when it comes to supporting those affected by autism. In our conversation, Denise covers a host of topics ranging from mentoring, the importance of pouring back into the community, why inv...
2017-02-1548 min
Autism AdvantageHow a Mom Turned Biscotti into a Business that Employs Her Son with AutismDenise Resnik has had a truly remarkable entrepreneurial background and has been in business as a marketing communications consultant for 30 years. Her projects include the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC), First Place AZ, DRA Collective, and, most importantly for today's conversation, the remarkable SMILE Biscotti. Denise is also the proud mother of a young man with autism, Matt, who was diagnosed at age 2. She was told to love, accept, and eventually institutionalize her son, which she found unacceptable. Instead of following that path, Denise used Matt as her source of inspiration, and together they created...
2016-11-1827 min