2026 NU Foundation Gala

Kristin Farmer is a Dallas-based entrepreneur, philanthropist, and mentor whose nearly three-decade career has been shaped by a simple belief: when people are being underserved, we have a responsibility to build something better.

She founded ACES and grew it into one of the nation’s leading autism services organizations, pioneering a multidisciplinary model that brought care into the places children actually live and learn—clinics, homes, schools, and communities. Her work helped raise expectations for what autism care could be, combining clinical excellence with strong culture, thoughtful use of technology, and deep respect for the families being served.

But Kristin’s impact has never been limited to one company or one cause.

Recognizing a critical shortage of trained autism professionals, she created the Kristin Farmer Autism Center at the University of North Texas, where future teachers and clinicians could learn while working directly alongside children, families, researchers, and experienced practitioners. She has supported research aimed at identifying autism earlier, including the work of Dr. Karen Pierce at UC San Diego, and has worked with clinicians, policymakers, and advocates to improve standards, expand services, and increase access to care.

After taking courses at National University herself, she established a partnership between ACES and National University for the professionals at ACES to continue to expand their expertise in Applied Behavioral Analysis.

Her humanitarian work extends well beyond autism. Kristin serves on the board of Connect Our Kids, supporting efforts to help children in foster care find and strengthen permanent family connections. She supports an orphanage in Baja Mexico, Curebound’s work to accelerate cancer research, and Impact organizations designed to bring people, capital, and ideas together around some of the world’s most pressing challenges. She also mentors entrepreneurs, helping emerging leaders turn meaningful ideas into organizations capable of creating lasting impact.

Across every chapter of her work, Kristin is drawn to the space between what people need and what currently exists. Her instinct is to connect the right people, resources, ideas, and capital—and then help build the bridge.

Today, her work continues to center on human development, belonging, conscious leadership, and creating environments where people can reach their fullest potential.

For Kristin, humanitarian work is not separate from entrepreneurship. It is the purpose behind it: seeing what is possible for people and helping create the conditions for that possibility to become real.