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Katie Neeves

Katie Neeves has been a professional photographer for 37 years, but she came out publicly in 2018 as being transgender after living for 48 years as a man. Katie formed Cool2BTrans to support and inspire other trans people and to educate everyone else about trans people, using humour to break down barriers. Katie appears regularly in the media, being on both ITV's and the BBC's lists of experts and being a BBC Sounds podcast presenter. She has won many awards for her work as a trans ambassador, including the British Diversity Awards "Hero of the Year" award. Katie's talks have been described as "inspirational storytelling at its best!"

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About Katie Neeves

After living as a man for 48 years, Katie was thrown into turmoil when her gender dysphoria increased dramatically, causing her to go on a voyage of discovery before finally admitting to her self that she is a transgender woman and that she needed to change her body.

She then came out very publicly via a coming-out video which she posted on her social media and sent to all the clients of her photography business, risking her livelihood and reputation in the process.   This was a massive risk, as she had built up a great reputation over 31 years as one of the UK’s top photographers, photographing everything from royalty, to wars and riots.  She needn’t have worried though, as she was inundated with hundreds of messages of support.  This led to her vlogging about her transition journey in a very open, honest and humorous way, with a goal of making the subject accessible to all.  Her story was picked up in the media and it wasn’t long before she was a regular in the radio and TV studios, becoming a trans ambassador along the way.

Katie formed Cool2BTrans to support and inspire other trans people and also 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.

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.  She was awarded British Diversity Awards “Hero of the Year 2023”, the Trans in the City “Trans Community Champion 2022 Award”, the This is Us “Training & Development 2023 Award” and Fellowship of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.  She was a Diva Awards “Unsung Hero of the Year 2023” finalist and she was listed on the DIVA Power List 2023.

Participants and audience members will leave Katie’s uplifting talks and training feeling both entertained and educated.  Katie said “Many people focus on the negative aspects of being trans, but I prefer to approach the subject from a much more positive angle.  I am exactly the same person I was before my transition – but far happier!”

Speech Topics

My Long Walk to Womanhood
This is the raw, emotional, educational and humorous story of my transgender transition, mixed with explanations of all things trans.  I give a full and frank account of my rollercoaster of a journey to be able to live my truth as the woman I have always been (but previously never allowed to show), after living for 48 years as a man.  I also speak about my background as a press photographer (photographing everything from wars to royalty), the difficult decisions surrounding my photography and video business which was named after my old (male) name and how I ended up being a global speaker, presenter and trainer and being given incredible opportunities such as modelling on the catwalk at London Fashion Week.  My cheeky sense of humour has become a hallmark of all my presentations as I feel it is essential to entertain as well as to inform.  My story is the most powerful section upon which all my other presentations are built and I regularly see audiences both laugh and cry while I tell it.  It was recently described as “a masterclass in storytelling” and “Inspirational storytelling at its best.”  It’s perfect as an inspirational talk for conferences and as an after-dinner speech as well as for diversity and inclusion events.

What’s it like to be transgender?  And how can I support those who are?
This is my most popular presentation.  It gives the audience a very real appreciation for what life is like for trans people and practical tips for being an ally.  The Q&A section makes it adaptable for all sectors too, as people in different professions tend to ask questions that are relevant to their particular role.  It was recently described as “the most interesting webinar so far and definitely the funniest”.

Positively Managing Change: A Very Personal Journey
This presentation is themed around how I handled such a major change in my life and my business. This fits in very well with business conferences and groups as business owners regularly have to manage change, whether it is forced on them or something of their making.  It can be performed to any size of audience.

Bespoke talks

I am always happy to discuss bespoke talks if any of my regular talks do not fit your requirements.

Booking Information

Videos

Testimonials

"The trans awareness workshop with Katie made a lasting impact and impression on the team.  Many have said that it was the most exciting training in years.  They said that they had thought about it a lot afterwards and would like a follow-up for further discussion. I would 100% recommend Katie to others."

Deutsche Telekom

"Katie delivered an engaging, inspirational and educational Trans Awareness session for ENGIE on International Transgender Day of Visibility. She connected with the audience, telling her own personal story with humour and heart and provided a safe space for people to ask questions. There were so many wonderful comments received by employees after the event. I would highly recommend Katie as a speaker."

Aviva

"Would not have the slightest hesitation in recommending Katie for anyone who is looking for a speaker and educator in the Trans/LGBTQIA+ area. Katie was extremely open and honest about her journey and spoke extremely well about allyship and advocating for the Trans community. Katie spoke in such a way she was able to make a connection with so many, and at all levels of knowledge and experience. As the host of the talk I have received a number of messages/emails from those who attended, each and everyone thankful and inspired by her words, several of who are looking to speak to Katie separately. One of the pieces of feedback I received said that Katie was the best speaker they have heard in the entire LGBTQIA+ area and I wouldn't disagree with that at all."

National Grid

"Katie is a phenomenal speaker and trainer. She creates a safe space for open dialogue and learning as she blends thought-provoking content with humour and warmth. Katie uses her personal story with such generosity and openness it’s impossible not to feel totally engaged – which creates such rich conversation and teases people out of their shells to ask questions. A three hour session flew by!"

UnLtd

"We booked Katie to run two Trans Day of Visibility workshops for Virgin Media belonging networks. She was engaging, hilarious and amazing. Every bit of feedback we received from those who attended was beyond positive. I personally have never laughed and learnt so much in one hour!"

Virgin Media O2

"I had the pleasure of working with Katie on an online Pride event.  She's one of the most articulate and entertaining people I have seen in this format. Good humoured, well educated and a consummate professional. I would happily work with Katie again and sincerely hope we will. She's very talented and I could see her presenting a talk show on a major TV channel."

Rhondda Pride

"I love Katie's approach, she shares her stories with warmth, wit and stacks of humour. Her story really captures the challenges she has faced. After working with Katie you will truly understand why she creates game-changing noise about Trans Rights and the role that you play as an Ally. Katie's mission to educate and push for real change is critical, she has found the perfect way to connect with individuals and businesses. Her work will change the way people think, behave and will ultimately change the world for sure. Katie is a true professional and a beautiful person with an incredible story to tell. I look forward to working with her again in the future."

APSCo

"Inspirational storytelling at its best. I was lucky enough to listen to Katie’s story and can openly and honestly say it was incredible to hear.   I can honestly say it was eye opening, informative and inspirational to say the least.  What a journey you’ve had Katie. Thank you for sharing it."

Virgin Media O2

Katie Neeves Latest News

Oct 18, 2023

How Expert Speakers Can Elevate Transgender Awareness Week Events

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