Wesley Hamilton — Kansas City, MO
Wesley
Hamilton
Wesley Hamilton built his career on a simple premise: the people best equipped to help organizations navigate hard change are the ones who have actually been through it.
“The highest human act is to inspire.”
He is the founder of Hamilton Consulting Co. and Disabled But Not Really, a national nonprofit. After being shot and paralyzed at 24, Wesley rebuilt his health, his purpose, and eventually a consulting practice that now works with some of the country’s most recognized organizations. His approach is direct, his perspective is earned, and his track record reflects it.
Wesley has spoken at two TEDx events, appeared on Netflix’s Queer Eye, and has been recognized by CNN, Forbes, Fortune, and Ebony. He currently serves as Chair of the Kansas City Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities and Executive Director of DBNR.
Start a Conversation →How he got here.
- 16
On his own, early
Wesley moved out at 16, learning what most people don’t until much later — that responsibility, when it’s real, either breaks you or builds something in you. By 22, he had full custody of his daughter Nevaeh.
- 24
The turning point
A confrontation ended with Wesley being shot and paralyzed from the waist down. In the year that followed he lost over 100 pounds. He describes that period not as a setback, but as the beginning of his actual work.
- 2015
Disabled But Not Really
Wesley founded DBNR — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built around adaptive fitness and opportunity for individuals with spinal cord injuries. DBNR’s work has since informed redesigns at Kansas City International Airport and MLK Park.
- 2020
Hamilton Consulting Co.
Wesley launched the firm, delivered his second TEDx talk, and began working with the Government of Canada, McDonald’s, Penn State, Rutgers, and others. The practice grew out of a recognition that what he had learned could help organizations as much as individuals.
- Now
Ongoing
Wesley leads Hamilton Consulting Co., serves as Executive Director of DBNR, chairs the KC Mayor’s Committee for People with Disabilities, and is building Beyond Barriers Travel Co. He takes on a limited number of engagements each year.
A partial client list.
If you’d like to work together.
Wesley takes on a small number of engagements each year — consulting projects, speaking appearances, and advisory work. The best starting point is a brief conversation about what you have in mind.