Abby Nydam

Founder and CEO
Washington, District of Columbia, United States

Professional Overview

Abby Nydam is an accomplished strategist, innovator, and design leader with a diverse background spanning entrepreneurship, government, and the social impact sector. As the Founder and CEO of Sam, she leverages her expertise in human-centered design, technology, and policy to drive transformative change. Abby also serves as a Senior Strategy and Innovation Advisor for the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at the USDA and as a Presidential Innovation Fellow, working to enhance the federal government's capacity for innovation.

Experience Summary

Current Roles

Founder and CEO, Sam (2024-01-01 to Present)

Leads the strategic vision and daily operations of Sam, a mission-driven startup working to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges

Oversees the development and implementation of innovative solutions that leverage design, technology, and policy to drive sustainable impact

Forges high-level partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and private sector organizations to amplify the organization's reach and influence

Senior Strategy and Innovation Advisor, Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) at USDA (2023-05-01 to Present)

Provides strategic guidance and innovative insights to the FNS leadership team to enhance the delivery of food and nutrition programs

Collaborates with cross-functional stakeholders to identify and implement design-driven solutions that improve program accessibility and effectiveness

Leads the development of new initiatives and pilot projects aimed at addressing systemic challenges in the food and nutrition ecosystem

Presidential Innovation Fellow, White House Presidential Innovation Fellows (2022-02-01 to Present)

Serves as a subject matter expert, advising the White House on the integration of human-centered design, emerging technologies, and agile methodologies into federal government operations

Collaborates with agency leaders to identify and address critical challenges, exploring innovative approaches to service delivery and policy implementation

Mentors fellow innovation fellows and champions the adoption of a culture of continuous improvement across the federal government

Career Progression

Prior to her current roles, Abby held senior positions in strategy, innovation, and design across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. She served as a Senior Advisor for Strategy, Innovation, and Delivery at the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she spearheaded the development of cross-agency initiatives aimed at enhancing the federal government's responsiveness to societal needs.

Abby's earlier career experiences include serving as a Human-Centered Design & Innovation Lead at Generation Unlimited, a Senior Director of Strategy at sparks & honey, and a Design Partner at the International Rescue Committee. She also held roles as an Innovation Consultant, a Mentor at AIGA Design, and various leadership positions at iDE (International Development Enterprises), where she established and directed the organization's human-centered innovation lab, inCompass.

Academic Background

Abby holds a Master's degree in Design Innovation and Leadership from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she specialized in human-centered design and systems-level problem-solving. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from the University of Cincinnati, with a focus on sustainable product development and user experience design.

Areas of Expertise

Human-centered design

Innovation strategy and implementation

Public-private partnership development

Policy analysis and program evaluation

Digital transformation and technology integration

Cross-functional team leadership and collaboration

Professional Impact

Throughout her career, Abby has demonstrated a strong track record of driving measurable impact through her work. Some of her notable achievements include:

Spearheaded the design and launch of a groundbreaking digital platform that improved access to food and nutrition assistance programs, reaching over 1 million beneficiaries within the first year of implementation.

Led the development and implementation of a human-centered design-based strategy that increased the efficiency and effectiveness of USDA's Food and Nutrition Service programs by 25% over a two-year period.

Designed and piloted an innovative public-private partnership model that leveraged technology and behavioral science to address food insecurity in underserved communities, resulting in a 30% increase in program participation.

Served as a key advisor to the White House on the integration of design-driven innovation and agile methodologies into federal government operations, contributing to the successful launch of several high-profile policy initiatives.