About Eolas
Derived from the Irish Gaelic word for “knowledge”, Eolas Consulting, LLC (think: A-oh-lahs) is a small and streamlined firm that works toward a poverty-free world where socially excluded people are better represented by data and included in economic development programs.
About its founder and sole proprietor: Philip R. Crehan received his M.A. from American University’s School of International Service, with a specialization in human rights and economic development. Prior, he received his B.A. from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, with a major in philosophy and political science.
He now has 15 years experience as a technical specialist on data collection and social inclusion programming, having led many large-scale data collection efforts as well as management of multi-million dollar international programs, and is a fluent English and Spanish speaker.
Theory of Change
Facing unprecedented challenges in 2022, there is extensive poverty, inequality, and discrimination in society. Especially for those who face systemic exclusion due to their identity, they often lack representation through data and are unable to access the national and international institutions that could help.
Eolas Consulting’s portfolio exists at the nexus of human rights and economic development, by working with socially excluded groups to generate data on their livelihoods - data is knowledge. With that knowledge, the firm works for their economic empowerment and holds institutions accountable to act - knowledge is power.
Specifically, this entails the creation of primary research in tandem with communities, using those data to drive more inclusive policies, and structuring a larger national and international economic development ecosystem that is accountable to the needs of the most excluded. The mission is a poverty-free world where socially excluded people are better represented by data and included in economic development programs.
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The founder has partnered and worked extensively with organizations and institutions around the world. Partners now include dozens of global civil society organizations and networks, including throughout North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Asia.
Clients have included the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, UNDP, Micro Rainbow International, and Open For Business.
Ongoing collaboration has taken place with the Organization of American States, the European Union, USAID, the Swedish International Development Agency, the World Economic Forum, the Equal Rights Coalition, the Center for American Progress, the Atlantic Council, and the Center for Values in International Development, as well as partnerships with 9 governments and dozens of multinational corporations.
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The founder has given over 50 presentations on the link between data, social inclusion, and economic development, to a diversity of audiences including governments, the UN, the EU, development institutions, corporations, academics, and more:
2022 Business Fights Poverty & the International Finance Corporation (IFC): The “Business Case” for Inclusion
2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF): The Economic Case for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Caribbean
2022 University of Calgary: Diversity and Inclusion Indices - Examining Global Case Studies
2022 Organization of American States: LGBTQ+ People and Migration - New Human Rights Challenges
2022 World Bank: Inclusive Growth in the Caribbean
2022 Inter-American Development Bank: LGBTQ+ Inclusive Development in the Caribbean
2021 Organization of American States: Gender-informed and Inclusive Growth in the Caribbean
2021 East Meets West: How organizations can navigate the World Bank (podcast)
2021 Open For Business: The Economic Case for LGBT+ Inclusion in the Caribbean
2021 UNDP Regional Dialogue and Conference: Economic Inclusion in the Caribbean
2021 ITB Berlin Trade Show: Cultivating Inclusive Travel Post-COVID
2020 Atlantic Council/Center for American Progress: LGBTI Foreign Policy Recommendations for the Next US Administration (launched with 2 members of US Congress)
2020 Inter-American Development Bank: Gender and Inclusion in Labor Programming
2020 Inter-American Development Bank: Gender and Inclusion in Health Programming
2019 Georgetown University Law School: Exclusion, Poverty, and Economic Development (guest lecturer)
2019 REDI Business Conference: International Business and Economic Perspectives (delivered in Madrid, Spain)
2019 Arn Culture and Business Pride in Spain: LGBTI Inclusion and Economic Empowerment (delivered in Tenerife, Spain)
2019 European Union Mission in Washington, DC: Promoting Peace and Human Rights through Business
2019 British Embassy in Washington, DC: Diversity & Inclusion – Engaging the Private Sector
2019 Launch of India’s Diverse Chamber of Commerce: LGBTI Economic Empowerment (keynote delivered in New Delhi, India)
2019 Organization of American States: Can Tourism be a Driver of Inclusion and Economic Development?
2019 World Bank Spring Meetings: Mitigating Risk and Vulnerability in World Bank Operations (moderator)
2019 Ecuador Diverse Chamber of Commerce Launch: Inclusion in Private Sector Work (delivered in Quito, Ecuador)
2019 WEConnect Annual Conference: Promoting women-owned businesses in Supply Chains
2018 Victory Institute Global Conference: Human Rights and Economic Development
2018 Victory Institute Global Conference: Engaging the Private Sector on LGBTI Human Rights
2018 Mexican Cultural Institute in DC: Sin División: Doing Business Together, Promoting Empowerment
2018 Embassy of South Africa in DC: Inclusive Investments in South Africa
2018 Mexican Federation for Businesses: Progress, Inclusion, and Human Rights (in Spanish, delivered in Mexico City, Mexico)
2018 Costa Rican Diversity Chamber: An Social Inclusion Approach to Economic Empowerment (delivered in San José, Costa Rica)
2018 Equal Rights Coalition: How the Private Sector Can Advance LGBTI Human Rights (moderator, delivered in Vancouver, Canada)
2018 ING Bank: Engaging Banks for Rights and Inclusion
2018 New York City Pride Human Rights Conference: How to Engage the Private Sector
2018 Belize Chamber of Commerce: Economic Empowerment and Human Rights for Marginalized Groups (delivered in Belmopan, Belize)
2018 World Bank: Book launch of Dr. Chloe Schwenke (moderator)
2017 International Center for Research on Women: Increasing Data Collection & Research on Inclusion
2017 Organization of American States: Using Data to Promote Human Rights and Social Inclusion
2017 United Nations Foundation: Engaging Corporations to Combat Discrimination
2017 George Washington University: A New Perspective on Gender and Development (guest lecturer)
2017 Mexican Federation for Businesses: Inclusive Business – How We Can Act (in Spanish, delivered in Mexico City, Mexico)
2017 Colombian Chamber of Commerce: Small Business and Promoting Job Opportunities (delivered in Bogotá, Colombia)
2017 Embassy of Sweden: Engaging the Public and Private Sector on Human Rights (moderator)
2017 U.S. National Institute of Health: Data Collection on Excluded Groups – Lessons Learned
2017 American Bar Association: Using Research and Data to Promote Human Rights
2016 World Bank & UNDP: Investing in Research to Advance LGBTI Inclusion
2016 Uruguay, Global Human Rights & Inclusion Conference: Investing in Research for Inclusion (delivered in Montevideo, Uruguay)
2016 World Bank Country Office: LGBTI and Economic Development in the Southern Cone (training, delivered in Buenos Aires, Argentina)
2016 World Bank: Measuring the link between discrimination, violence, and poverty in Latin America
2016 US State Department: Making the Case for Diplomacy and Development for the Inclusion of Women
2016 USAID: Digital Technologies for Research - Measuring Vulnerability and Promoting Inclusion
2016 Palladium Group: Cultivating Violence Prevention among Vulnerable Groups
2015 World Bank: Combatting Violence among Vulnerable Women
2015 Salzburg Global Seminar: Increasing Resilience of Vulnerable Communities (delivered in Salzburg, Austria)
2015 UNDP Bangkok: Regional Dialogue on Social Inclusion in East Asia (delivered in Bangkok, Thailand)
2015 World Bank: “Sexual Minorities and Development” film debut: How Can the World Bank Act?
2014 Harvard University: Quantifying the Cost of Excluding Minority Groups
2014 Williams Institute: Human Rights in International Development
2014 World Bank Annual Meetings: Exclusion and Human Rights – Exploring the Link to Poverty
2013 Swedish International Development Agency, Human Rights Conference: Human Rights & Economic Growth (delivered in Stockholm, Sweden)
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The founder has received numerous awards from the World Bank for the effectiveness of his research and work, including:
2018 Vice Presidential Award “Development Impact”
2017 Presidential Award “Innovation & Excellence”
2016 Senior Directors Award “Knowledge Innovator”
Other accomplishments include:
2019 Arn Culture & Business Pride - his work overseeing a global network was awarded for international promotion of diversity within business
2016-2017 Vice President of the World Bank’s Employee Resource Group for LGBTQ staff
2016-2017 Fellowship with Stanford University, National Democratic Institute and the US State Department, to develop technology to measure the education needs of Syrian refugees in Jordan. Team selected as winner of global competition and sent around the US to engage funders
2015 Salzburg Global Fellow - joining leaders from around the world on addressing pressing global concerns
