Vaishalee Raja joined the Irvine Foundation’s Los Angeles office as a Senior Communications Officer in March 2016 and became the Director of Communications in December 2024. She has more than a decade of experience with strategic communications, media relations, advocacy campaigns, and community organizing. Before joining the Foundation, Vaishalee was a Vice President at Fenton, a strategic communications firm. There she managed a variety of communications needs for nonprofit and foundation clients on a broad range of public health, social, and economic justice causes.

Prior to Fenton, Vaishalee was the Communications Director for Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide advocacy organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. She developed communications strategies to support the organization’s legislative agenda, public education campaigns, and its electoral work. Vaishalee has also held communications positions at The Front Range Economic Strategy Center, Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and the Service Employees International Union – United Healthcare Workers. There she led communications campaigns across Southern California to improve patient care and workplace standards for caregivers and to ensure low-income residents had access to quality healthcare.

Vaishalee graduated from the University of Missouri with a M.A. in journalism.