Abby Bysshe
Chief Experience and Strategy Officer
The Franklin Institute
Abby Bysshe is Chief Experience and Strategy Officer at The Franklin Institute. In addition to fostering a world-class touring exhibition program, she is currently prioritizing the museum’s visitor experience, elevating its exhibitions, and leading a comprehensive master planning process that intersects with the museum’s bicentennial in 2024.
Bysshe brings 20 years of experience in innovative museum business modeling and exhibition development and implementation to The Franklin Institute. Before landing in Philadelphia, Bysshe worked in the National Gallery of Art exhibits department, then moved to National Geographic to lead its traveling and digital exhibition programs and eventually took charge of its national and international museum partnerships.
Bysshe’s endless curiosity about the experiences and location-based entertainment industries continues to inform her drive to evolve how museums think, act, and earn in the 21st century. She is a sought-after thought leader and presenter with 2024 speaking engagements for the American Alliance of Museums, the Association of Science and Technology Centers, and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. In Philadelphia, she represents The Franklin Institute as a Board Member of the Parkway Council Foundation.
In 2022, Bysshe was named among Blooloop's Top 50 Museum Influencers, and in 2024, received the Women of Influence distinction from the Philadelphia Business Journal.
As the most visited museum in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a top-five tourist destination in the City of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute is one of the leading science centers in the country and serves as both a prominent educational and cultural resource, and as an anchor of the local economy.