Keely Cat-Wells

Keely Cat-Wells is an Entrepreneur and Disability Rights Advocate committed to driving social, systemic, and economic change. While in the hospital, she founded a company that evolved into C Talent. Acquired by Whalar in 2022, C Talent represents Disabled talent, reshaping perceptions of Disability. Under her leadership, C Talent developed an artist roster with a combined following of over 50 million people and placed talent in thousands of projects for brands like Nike, HBO, and Disney. They have represented Academy Award and Emmy-nominated Disabled talent. The acquisition marked a significant investment in Disabled talent and a pivotal milestone for the creator industry.

Following the acquisition, Cat-Wells established Making Space, a venture-backed, accessible talent acquisition and learning platform for companies to train, access, and retain pre-qualified Disabled talent. The platform has secured partnerships with NBCUniversal, Indeed, Netflix, Amazon, and others.

In collaboration with award-winning TV Host and Disability Rights Advocate Sophie Morgan, Cat-Wells co-founded Making Space Media, a division of Making Space. They produce film, TV, and promotional content centering Disabled voices. Making Space Media has secured a first-look deal with Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.

Cat-Wells’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, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. She has had the privilege of serving on the Advisory Board for Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation and currently holds positions on the Board of Directors for No Barriers USA, 2-Gether International, Generation Patient, and the Hollywood Radio Television Society Foundation. She also serves on the ReelAbilities Film Festival Advisory Board, the Diversity Working Group for the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Ad Age.

Cat-Wells played a key role as a youth leader in the inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum, hosted by MTV Entertainment Group in collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration and leading mental health nonprofits. Selena Gomez, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Surgeon General Dr. Murthy and President Joe Biden were in attendance and conversation. The forum took place at the White House, driving mental health awareness to action through storytelling and media. Prior to this, Cat-Wells teamed up with major Hollywood figures to urge movie studios to hire permanent disability and accessibility officers. Amy Poehler and Naomie Harris are among over 80 names who signed an open letter sent across Hollywood.

Cat-Wells has delivered speeches for many companies and organizations, including The LEGO Group, United Nations, NBC, Microsoft, Cannes Film Festival, and Apple. As a thought leader, her writing has appeared in prominent media outlets, including an op-ed in TIME Magazine on the need to phase out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act and a Fast Company series on accessibility in the workforce.

Cat-Wells became a laureate of the Youth Activist Summit at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on the eve of the International Day for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2022. This summit celebrates remarkable young individuals driving sustainability and human rights advancements.

In 2023, Keely became a Storyteller in Residence at the Clinton Global Initiative, and in 2024 Keely was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar, making her the youngest participant in the program’s history. The program is a partnership among the Presidential Centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson, designed for leaders committed to helping solve society’s greatest challenges. Keely was recently named one of two fellows for Gloria Steinem’s Inaugural Fellowship.

Keely has received numerous awards and honors, including The Diana Award, established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. It is renowned as the most prestigious accolade a young person can achieve for their humanitarian or social action endeavors. Other accolades include Forbes 30 Under 30 , AdWeek Young Influential, Great British Entrepreneur of the Year and recognition as a ‘most powerful executive in the creator economy’ by Fast Company. Additionally, she has been acknowledged as a Linkedin Top Voice, One Young World Entrepreneur of the Year, Meaningful Business 100, Tory Burch Foundation Fellow, Aerie Changemaker, Rebel Girl Changemaker and was featured in their best-selling Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls series. In alliance with entities like the International Paralympic Committee and UN Human Rights, Keely is a founding member of #WeThe15, a Silver and Bronze Cannes Lions-winning campaign considered the most significant human rights movement in sports history.