Revolutionizing Talent Acquisition: Keely Cat-Wells’ Journey to Founding Making Space
Keely Cat-Wells shared her inspiring journey from aspiring dancer to pioneering entrepreneur with Samara Jaffe, Co-Founder and GM of Transform at The Desk at Transform. Her experiences have culminated in the creation of Making Space, a platform dedicated to reshaping how companies engage with disabled talent.
A Shift in Path Sparked by Personal Challenges
Keely’s professional journey took an unexpected turn when health issues interrupted her promising dance career. Spending 3-4 years in a hospital and subsequently moving to Los Angeles to break into the entertainment industry, she encountered significant barriers. Despite her talents, revealing her disability often led to lost job opportunities, particularly when she requested accommodations. This adversity sparked a realization of the systemic issues within the industry, motivating her to start a company focused on representing disabled talent in film, media, and television to enhance their visibility and inclusion.
Making Space: An Innovative Solution for Inclusive Employment
In 2023, following the acquisition of her first company, Keely launched Making Space. This platform isn’t just another job board; it’s a comprehensive learning and talent acquisition ecosystem that enables companies to understand and bridge skill gaps specifically for disabled individuals. Making Space assists companies in saving on recruitment and retention—areas that traditionally suffer budget cuts, especially in diversity initiatives.
A Learning Platform Tailored to Real Needs
Making Space offers a tailored learning component that addresses specific needs. For instance, if a company like Netflix needs graphic designers, the platform analyzes existing skill gaps and develops a custom curriculum that includes sign language interpretation and compatibility with various assistive technologies. This prepares candidates not just to fill current openings but to excel in them, effectively creating a pre-qualified talent pipeline directly connected to corporate partners.
Strategic Engagement Beyond DEI
Keely’s strategy for Making Space involves integrating the platform across all business departments rather than isolating it within Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. This approach ensures that accessibility and inclusion become embedded in the broader business strategy, making the initiative a core element of corporate operations rather than a peripheral effort.
Early Success and Visionary Goals
The first significant endorsement for Making Space came from NBC Universal, focusing on building talent pipelines for the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics in Paris. Starting with roles in media—reflecting Keely’s background in entertainment—the platform plans to expand into other industries through strategic partnerships, including a soon-to-be-announced collaboration with a major player in the HR sector.
Advocating for Reasonable Accommodations
Keely also touched on the critical need for companies to rethink workplace accommodations, especially in the wake of COVID-19. The pandemic demonstrated the feasibility and benefits of remote work, a long-standing request of the disabled community that, when implemented broadly, highlighted existing biases and opened doors to more inclusive practices.
Supporting Visibility and Rights of Disabled Individuals
To further the cause, Keely urges active support for the rights of disabled individuals, emphasizing a dual perspective that considers both human rights and the economic contributions of this demographic. By acknowledging and leveraging the economic power and talents of disabled people, companies can foster a more inclusive, innovative, and successful workplace.
Keely Cat-Wells’ work with Making Space is more than just advocacy; it’s a practical, innovative solution that redefines how talent is nurtured and integrated into the modern workforce. Her story is a testament to the power of resilience and the impact of visionary leadership in overcoming personal and systemic challenges.