Abby Clobridge
Founder of FireOak Strategies
Strategic advisor, knowledge management expert, and fractional CIO for purpose-driven organizations
Abby Clobridge a mission-aligned strategist and trusted advisor to many leading organizations. As the founder of FireOak Strategies, she helps teams align their knowledge, technology, and governance to scale smarter, work more efficiently, and operate with clarity.
Abby brings more than 25 years of experience at the intersection of technology, knowledge management, and organizational strategy. She has worked with global nonprofits, advocacy organizations, academic institutions, and professional services firms to modernize their internal operations, build secure and scalable systems, and turn “tribal knowledge” into institutional strength.
A frequent fractional CIO, Abby leads digital transformation initiatives, intranet and knowledge base redesigns, platform migrations, and information governance efforts. She blends strategic clarity with hands-on pragmatism, helping organizations make smart decisions about platforms, people, processes, and risk — always aligned with their mission.
Before founding FireOak Strategies, Abby was the Associate Director of Research and Knowledge Services at Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government where she developed a knowledge management program and supported the school’s Open Access policy. From 2003-2009, Abby was the head of the digital initiatives program at Bucknell University (Pennsylvania) where she launched the university’s digital repository and supervised metadata initiatives. Earlier in her career, Abby worked as an investigative researcher and news librarian for CNN.
Abby holds a B.A. (Cum Laude) in History from Tufts University and an M.S. in Library Science from Florida State University. She is a member of the Forbes Business Council, where several of her thought leadership articles for business leaders can be read. She has written many articles for various journals and trade publications focused on digital transformation, knowledge management, business process optimization, cybersecurity, technology, and other related topics.
In her spare time, Abby can be found putting together a puzzle, swapping war stories with other entrepreneurs, or hanging out with Twitch, her oversized Maine Coon cat, and Maisey the Dog.
- Calm, strategic leadership
- 25+ years of experience in knowledge management, business process optimization, digital transformation, and applying technology to real-world situations
- Practical AI and automation guidance
- Deep expertise with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Salesforce, Airtable, and more
- Strong focus on operations, governance, and long-term sustainability
- Transparent, relationship-based consulting
"Better knowledge leads to better decisions – and better decisions fuel stronger missions."
I believe that technology should enable your work – not distract from it – and that operational clarity is the foundation for growth.
Areas of Focus
- Fractional CIO and fractional CISO
- Knowledge management strategy
- AI & automation readiness
- Platform migrations (e.g. Google Workspace to Microsoft 365)
- Organizational change facilitation
- Intranet & knowledge base redesign
- Automation app development
What to explore how we might work together?
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Read Abby's recent blog posts
