Della Rae, Director
Self-Agency Academy

Della Rae, a Portland native, People & Culture seasoned professional with over ten years of experience in the field of Operations and Administrative Management. She is passionate about prioritizing people and inclusion as a pillar of long-term strategy for sustainable agencies. She carries with her a professional philosophy that "the inside of all informs the outside."

Della is all about the food cart scene and her favorite form of art is Jazz. She is an author and also certified in Human Resource Management. She knows who she is and what it takes to build community.

Servant Leader Since 2009
2018 - 2024 Producer of International Women’s Day & Phenomenal Woman Awards
2020 Lead Organizer of The Portland Women’s March
2018 - 2021 Assumed Oregon Women’s Health Network (OWHN)
2013 - 2018 Radio Host | Bread & Roses Feminist News and Public affairs | KBOO 90.7
2009 - 2012 Founder, The Wild Women Society

Accolades & Awards
Shero Awardee | Woman of Excellence Awardee | Regence BlueCross Blue Shield Award Community Award | Portland Business Journal 40 under 40 Award | Safeco Foundation National Hero Award | Delta Sigma Theta Woman of Excellence Community Service Award | Symetra Community Champion Award | E-town E-Chievement Award | Outstanding Innovative Project Award from AFP | Featured in the national publication, Family Circle magazine as a “Local Hero.”

How it began
In 2005 Della co-founded a nonprofit agency with her sister Deborah that distributed 20,000 household items to local families in need within the first 18 months. As a result of her efforts, she realized that while accomplishments and accolades are great, they are only as good as we think and feel about ourselves.

Why Self-Agency Academy?
Infinite merit as a result of cordial space for ALL women, autonomy, and real talk regardless of professional status as a standard for inclusion.

Our classes are held online and throughout the Portland-area in community spaces, registration fees are accessible, food and beverage are included. ALL women are encouraged to show up as they are, engage as they wish, and keep what resonates.