Susanna Ercolani

Susanna Ercolani is Science Valorization & Market Strategy Consultant at the CGIAR Accelerate for Impact Platform (A4IP). She works closely with entrepreneurs, supporting them through accelerator programs and fostering connections with industry experts, corporates, and investors — helping bridge the gap between scientific research and market-ready solutions. She supports the design and implementation of lab-to-market programs across countries, ensuring content alignment, program design consistency, and cross-country collaboration. 

Susanna is passionate about startups, entrepreneurship, and innovation, particularly in emerging markets. She had 5 years of experience working with founders, and advises and mentors scientists on business validation, go-to-market strategy, business modeling, and fundraising. 

Prior to joining the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, she managed the startup incubator and accelerator programs at eWorks, Esade’s startup platform, where she served as the main point of contact for its founder network. She also teaches entrepreneurship at Esade Business School. 

Earlier in her career, Susanna worked in innovation consulting, delivering startup programs and entrepreneurial training. She also co-founded a tourism-tech startup, gaining hands-on experience in team building, product launch, and early customer acquisition. 

She currently serves on the board of BeEntrepreneurs, an NGO that trains African entrepreneurs and connects them with the European innovation ecosystem.