Rina Shah is a Washington, DC-based geopolitical risk advisor, political commentator, and award-winning social entrepreneur. She has served as a senior aide to two Republican U.S. House members, a top consultant to two presidential campaigns, and a sought-after counselor to elected officials, diplomats, and corporate leaders worldwide. A proud West Virginia native and daughter of immigrants from Uganda and India, Shah rose to national prominence in 2016 as the first RNC delegate to publicly oppose Donald Trump’s nomination, leading the #NeverTrump movement. This stance triggered her removal from the RNC—later reversed after a legal battle.
In 2020, she founded Republican Women for Biden; in 2024, she led the Republicans for Harris coalition. Shah currently serves as Senior Fellow for Inclusive Governance at the Rainey Center and sits on the boards of the Women’s Congressional Staff Foundation, League of Minority Voters, and VoteRunLead. She co-founded the Women’s Public Leadership Network. Named by Business Insider as one of “20 political strategists to watch ahead of 2022 and 2024,” she is represented by United Talent Agency and contributes frequently to BBC, CBS, MSNBC, and CNN. Most recently, she became a Senior Advisor to Our Republican Legacy, advocating for a GOP rooted in constitutional principles, fiscal responsibility, and inclusive leadership. Her pro-democracy work spans the globe, from Germany to the Maldives.
