At 17, Keely faced a major health crisis that resulted in her acquiring a disability. She later experienced disability discrimination, which cost her a job. Recognizing her struggles were not unique, she founded C Talent, a talent agency representing disabled artists. The agency grew to a roster reaching more than 50 million, including Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated talent. It placed creatives in projects such as The Hunger Games, Avatar, and The Last of Us, and was acquired in 2022, marking the largest known acquisition of a company specializing in disabled talent. Keely is now the founder and CEO of Making Space, a talent and learning platform closing the disability employment gap. Making Space connects disabled professionals to good jobs, higher incomes, and long-term economic opportunities through a suite of tools built for their community. Members have free access to a curated job board featuring disability-forward employers, a free library of accessible self-paced courses, and a peer community where disabled professionals can connect and share opportunities. The platform also includes a Skill Translation tool that helps members translate their lived experience of disability into recognised, transferable professional skills, alongside an AI-powered public benefits navigation tool. Making Space supports a growing network of more than 50,000 disabled professionals and works with organisations including Microsoft, Salesforce, Red Bull, Coca-Cola, and Netflix to build more accessible workplaces. Through their Ascend Fellowship, the organisation has generated more than $220 million in projected lifetime economic impact and achieved a 75% job placement rate, while training more than 200,000 employees through enterprise partnerships. In partnership with Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, Keely co-produced the critically acclaimed documentary Fight To Fly, which premiered on Channel 4 and triggered policy reform on accessibility in air travel. Keely is a 2026 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a 2025-2026 Obama Leader, a Presidential Leadership Scholar, and a Gloria Steinem Inaugural Fellow.
Agenda
2 sessions
This expert panel explores how leading enterprises move beyond compliance to building an AI-driven future where accessibility is the default setting, augmenting rather than replacing human expertise.
Wednesday, September 16
Dreampitch celebrates visionary leaders who measure success in impact, not valuations. Discover startups, vote, and watch the live final pitch crown a winner. Sponsored by Deloitte Digital.
Thursday, September 17
