Susan Abbott
Strengthening digital rights, independent media, and civil societies.
Cross-Pollinate Consulting is a mission-driven advisory firm specializing in evaluation, research, and strategic learning for initiatives that strengthen independent public interest journalism, digital rights, internet freedom, and civil society resilience.
With over a decade of global experience, we support U.S., European, and Global South organizations—including NGOs, donor agencies, academic institutions, and international coalitions.
Our expertise lies in designing and implementing monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL) systems that are practical, participatory, and tailored to the challenges of today’s digital and civic landscapes.
Meet Our Founder: Susan Abbott
About the Founder
Susan Abbott, PhD
Founder & Principal, Cross-Pollinate Consulting
With a deep commitment to digital technology, civic activism, and democratic values, Susan Abbott brings over 25 years of experience working at the intersection of media development, digital rights, and strengthening civil society. Her work bridges strategy, research, and practice to support healthy information ecosystems and human rights for all.
Susan recently served as the Information Resilience and Tech Advisor at USAID’s Office of Global Trends and Technology, where she led high-level initiatives to address disinformation and promote information integrity. She played a key role in designing new programs, conducting research, and organizing strategic learning retreats that convened donors, civil society, and tech sector actors around shared challenges in the digital space.
As a consultant, Susan has led evaluations of global programs focused on media independence, civic space, and digital rights—bringing insight, rigor, and creativity to MEL systems and outcome mapping processes. She has worked extensively with organizations such as BBC Media Action, Free Press Unlimited, Internews, International Media Support, and IREX.
Her academic contributions include co-leading a global research network on media development through partnerships with the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) and the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). She has designed and facilitated collaborative learning experiences for Central European University, including summer schools on media capture and digital governance, and created the Media Development Charrette using human-centered design to tackle persistent sector challenges.
Susan also teaches courses on media activism, disinformation, and democratic resilience at the University of Colorado and Regis University, where she fosters participatory learning and interdisciplinary inquiry. Her career is grounded in a commitment to democratizing both media systems and technology governance—always with an eye toward impact, equity, and inclusion.
Abbott holds a PhD from the University of Westminister in London, an MA from Central European University, Budapest, and a BA from American University, Washington, DC.
Delivering Better Outcomes
Cross-Pollinate, we work at the nexus of evidence, action, and strategy. We help our partners amplify their impact, tell more compelling stories of change, and navigate complexity with clarity.
Under the direction and leadership of Susan Abbott, PhD, Cross-Pollinate Consulting has contributed to a wide range of programs focused on:
- Advocacy and policy reform
- Coalition building and network strengthening
- Digital security and resilience training
- Supporting healthy information ecosystems through Information Integrity and resilience
- Strategic litigation and legal defense
- Public interest technology and internet governance
- High-level research and public policy analysis
