Katie Neeves
Founder
Cool2BTrans
Katie Neeves is a woman on a mission - but not just any woman and not just any mission!
She came out publicly as being transgender in 2018 after living for 48 years as a man, risking her livelihood and reputation as a top UK photographer in the process.
Katie formed Cool2BTrans to support and inspire other trans people and to educate everyone else about trans people, by showing them that trans people are just ordinary people who want to be happy - just like everyone else. She helps organisations with diversity and inclusion by providing trans awareness training and inspirational speaking in an entertaining way, using humour to break down barriers.
Recent participants of Katie's sessions said it was "inspirational storytelling at its best!", "an excellent session which was funny, moving and educational" and "I personally, have never laughed and learnt so much in one hour!".
Katie appears regularly in the media, being on both ITV's and the BBC's lists of experts as well as being a BBC Sounds podcast presenter. Also, she was awarded the Trans in the City "Trans Community Champion 2022 Award", the This is Us "Training & Development 2023 Award", Fellowship of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and she's a British Diversity Awards "Hero of the Year 2023" finalist.