Keely Cat-Wells

Keely Cat-Wells is the Founder and CEO of Making Space, a talent and learning platform closing the disability employment gap. Making Space partners with employers including Coca-Cola, Netflix, and Visa to transform how organizations hire, retain, and advance Disabled talent. By combining accessible education, responsible AI, and direct career pathways, Making Space supports a global community of more than 50,000 Disabled people. Its flagship Ascend program has supported over 200 participants, generating more than $220 million in projected lifetime economic impact. Keely is also the co-producer of the documentary Flight to Fly with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, which exposed the systemic barriers faced by Disabled travelers and has been used as an advocacy tool with policymakers, transportation leaders, and global institutions. Prior to founding Making Space, Keely built and sold C Talent, a talent agency representing Disabled artists across film, television, and advertising. The agency grew a roster with a reach of more than 50 million, representing Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated Disabled talent and placing them in major global productions including The Hunger Games, Avatar, The Last of Us, and more. Acquired in 2022, C Talent marked the largest acquisition of a Disabled-led company specializing in Disabled talent. Keely is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and Diana Award recipient, and has advised global institutions including Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation. She currently serves on the Los Angeles City Major Events Advisory Committee and the Human Rights Watch LA Committee, and holds the distinction of being the youngest-ever Presidential Leadership Scholar. Her leadership has also been recognized through her selection as a 2025 Obama Leader USA, L’Oréal Women of Worth honoree, and inaugural Gloria Steinem Fellow.