E266 Keely Cat-Wells: Why Making Space for Accessibility and Inclusivity Helps Everyone and The Bottom Line

Keely Cat-Wells is the Founder and CEO of Making Space, a platform that has supported over 10,000 Disabled professionals in building meaningful careers. Under her leadership, Making Space made history by training and placing the first-ever Disabled hosts on NBC Sports’ Paralympics broadcast. Other partners include Indeed, Netflix, and Visa. Keely also co-founded Making Space Media, a division producing film and TV content centering Disabled voices, securing a first-look deal with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.

Notably, their documentary “Fight To Fly” exposed the inequalities that Disabled travellers face, triggering policy reform. Before Making Space, Keely founded C Talent, an agency that reshaped disability representation in media and grew a roster reaching more than 50 million people. Acquired in 2022, C Talent became the largest acquisition of a company specializing in Disabled talent. Keely is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, a Diana Award recipient, and has served on the advisory board of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. She currently sits on the Los Angeles City Major Event Advisory Council, Human Rights Watch LA Committee and holds the distinction of being the youngest-ever Presidential Leadership Scholar. Additionally, she is an Obama Leader USA, White House Mental Health Youth Action Forum Leader, and inaugural Gloria Steinem Fellow.