Rachel Noerdlinger

Rachel Noerdlinger is an equity partner at Actum and one of the leading communicators, crisis managers, and brand strategists in the country. She has been celebrated for her expertise in shaping narratives for high-profile leaders and companies, with an unparalleled reputation for her ability to communicate the tenor of the streets to the decision makers in the C-Suites. Referred to as the real-life Olivia Pope, Rachel has become one of the nation’s go-to crisis managers for her ability to create strategic responses and thoughtful coalitions toward a long-term solution. 

Rachel’s unique experience, perspective, and approach are the byproduct of her work over the years alongside cultural icons like Attorney Johnnie Cochran and Rev. Al Sharpton – for whom she has served as his most-trusted communications advisor for more than 26 years – and she was Chief of Staff to the First Lady and Senior Advisor to the Mayor of the City of New York where she was a bridge between City Hall and the community. 

Her award-winning communications experience is punctuated by a penchant for media activism. Rachel led the media response to the most significant civil rights and social justice cases of our time, including the murders of Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, among other cases. In her longtime role as Rev. Sharpton’s media advisor, she organized the messaging for hundreds of civil rights organizations for marches on Washington in 2013, 2020, 2021, and 2023.  

Nationally, Rachel has become a seminal crisis manager around some of the most impactful issues. She advised the Fearless Fund’s response to a highly criticized lawsuit against its grant program for Black female entrepreneurs. During the 2024 election, Rachel served as the chief spokesperson and senior media strategist for Win With Black Women — the grassroots organization that inspired a groundswell of mobilization in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’ historic campaign as the first Black woman to top a major Presidential ticket. That same year, Rachel spearheaded the media campaign that led to just the second-ever reparations case in California. Rachel also co-founded the Health Equity in Transplantation Coalition, which has raised awareness on disparities within organ transplant access and care, and successfully restored Medicare coverage for life-saving blood tests.  

Rachel has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, and The New York Amsterdam News, among other media platforms. Her influence as a bona-fide veteran on the front lines of social justice has earned her myriad accolades, including on City & State’s New York Power of Diversity: Black 100 list and ranked as the top strategist on New York’s Political PR Power 50 by City & State.