Keely Cat-Wells

About Keely Cat-Wells

At 17, Keely faced a major health challenge that resulted in her acquiring a disability. She later faced disability discrimination which cost her a job. Recognizing her struggles were not unique, She founded a talent agency representing Disabled artists, built a roster with a reach of over 50 million, and represented Academy Award and Emmy-nominated Disabled talent, placing them in some of the world’s most prominent projects, including The Hunger Games, Avatar, The Last of Us, and others. Acquired in 2022, C Talent marked the largest acquisition of a company specializing in Disabled talent. After the acquisition, Keely founded Making Space, a talent and learning platform working to close the disability employment gap. The platform connects employers with a highly qualified but overlooked workforce while equipping teams to confidently support Disabled employees. Trusted by Netflix, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Salesforce, and others, Making Space has supported the careers of over Disabled professionals, with its flagship Ascend program generating more than $220 million in projected lifetime economic impact. Keely co-founded Making Space Media with a first-look deal with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Their documentary “Fight To Fly” is critically acclaimed and exposed the inequalities that Disabled travelers face, triggering policy reform. Keely’s expertise has led her to participate as a disability subject matter expert in discussions with notable figures such as President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. She has frequented the White House to advocate for the safety and dignity of Disabled travelers, to eliminate subminimum wage for Disabled professionals, and to celebrate milestone events such as the anniversaries of the ADA. Keely has delivered speeches and consulted for many organizations, including the United Nations, LEGO Group, Sesame Street, NBCUniversal, Microsoft, Amazon, Airbnb, and Apple to name a few. Her writing has appeared in media outlets, including TIME, Rolling Stone, Fast Company and Keely is a Contributor for Forbes. Keely is the youngest Presidential Leadership Scholar in the program’s 10-year history, a partnership among the Presidential Centers, and a laureate of the Youth Activist Summit at the United Nations. She is a Gloria Steinem Fellow and Obama Leader. Her honors include L’Oréal Paris’ 2025 Women of Worth, The Diana Award, Forbes 30U30, among others. For more information about her work and background visit her website.

Experience

1. Forbes 30 under 30 Honoree

   Forbes

   Apr 2021 — Present