It began decades ago, when Christopher M. Barnett, then a determined Temple applicant, was told he hadn’t been accepted. Unwilling to give up, he met with an admissions counselor and promised to prove himself, pledging to graduate with a 4.0 GPA and, one day, to give back to the university that took a chance on him.
He kept that promise.
Today, Barnett stands among the nation’s most dynamic healthcare entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Over a 20-year career, he has built, grown, and led a portfolio of companies that challenge convention and expand access to care. His current holdings span behavioral health, revenue cycle management, artificial intelligence, and concierge medicine – all united by a single goal: to make healthcare more personal, efficient, and equitable.
In 2020, Barnett founded ABA Centers, a national autism care provider born from personal experience. After years of navigating misdiagnosis and long waitlists for his daughter, Madison, he resolved to create a system where families could finally access high-quality autism therapy without delay. What began as one center has grown into a mission-driven organization with more than 2,500 team members across 13 states and Puerto Rico.
Under Barnett’s leadership, ABA Centers was recognized as the No. 5 company on the 2024 Inc. 5000 list and the No. 1 Fastest-Growing Company in the Americas by Financial Times. In 2024, he received the EY Entrepreneur of the Year National Overall Award, becoming the first healthcare provider ever to do so.
As Barnett’s career has progressed, he has never forgotten where he came from – and he has never forgotten the promise that he made so many years ago. In 2022, Mr. Barnett gifted Temple with $1 million to establish the ABA Centers Autism Lab, a multidisciplinary hub that conducts research, trains students, and offers diagnostic services to patients regardless of their ability to pay. He went on to support the university’s on-campus food pantry, now dubbed the Barnett Irvine Cherry Pantry, and in 2024, alongside the School of Social Work, he established Maddy’s Room, a sensory-friendly respite for students and faculty.
But in 2025, his relationship with Temple truly came full circle. With a $55 million gift, the largest in Temple’s history, Barnett and his family endowed the newly named Christopher M. Barnett College of Public Health, solidifying his belief that public health education and service can transform lives. This was also the largest initiative to date supported by the Christopher M. Barnett Family Foundation, the nonprofit he and his family founded to champion causes that ensure stable housing, alleviate food insecurity, support individuals with developmental disabilities, foster opportunities for underprivileged children, and advance women’s empowerment.
For Barnett, the work is far from over. Each venture – from the technology-driven innovation of CurativeAI to the patient-first model of Marquis MD – continues his lifelong commitment to improving access, quality, and humanity in healthcare. His journey stands as a testament to perseverance, purpose, and the profound impact of giving back.