Abigail Davenport

Abigail Davenport, a partner at Hart Research, has three decades of experience providing research-backed, strategic guidance to a wide range of organizations on imperatives around communications, policy, reputation, and issue advocacy. She draws upon her deep experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research to translate data into clear and actionable strategies to help her clients answer difficult strategic questions, measure attitudes on complex issues, develop effective messages that influence opinion, and leverage key audiences’ opinions to their benefit.

Abigail guides nonprofit and advocacy organizations, foundations, corporations, trade associations, government agencies, and labor unions as they address reputational matters, build support, and navigate policy issues. She has managed and led projects in all the firm’s major practice areas and relies upon that breadth of practice in managing the firm’s analyst staff.

She has led research projects on a wide range of issues, including education, healthcare, economic justice, clean energy, social media, finance, artificial intelligence, violence prevention, and civic engagement for, among others, the Lumina Foundation, the Wallace Foundation, the Knight Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, WestEd, the College Board, Points of Light, the COVID Collaborative, the Environmental Defense Fund, and SEIU. She also has provided executive-level counsel to Fortune 500 companies, including ESPN, Disney, Travelers, Exelon, AT&T, and The Coca-Cola Company, on public and policymaker sentiment toward their brands and attitudes on key policy issues.

Abigail grew up in Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Tufts University with a degree in international relations.  She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband, two children, and two dogs.