Catharine McNally grew up in North Carolina and received her B.A. from Wake Forest University in 2006 with a focus in art history. She moved to the Washington, D.C. area shortly after graduation to pursue her career aspirations for working in the arts and accessibility. She interned at VSA arts, worked at the Smithsonian Institution Freer + Sackler galleries, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts before she started her own company, Keen Guides to make the nation's public spaces more accessible to everyone. Catharine, a cuer since she was two years old, gives great credit to cued speech for giving her the language opportunities to communicate with people in the professional and social settings. 

Catharine is an active community participant through her volunteer activities and advocacy efforts. In her free time, she can be found around D.C. exploring the museums, trying new restaurants, or playing sports!