Background & experience
Chris Geraghty, associate director at ESI, is a multi-faceted team leader who instills collaboration and participation among project teams to set goals and achieve material results. An expert in state-based grant and tax credit programs, he helps clients secure pivotal funding in economic development, state and local tax policy, and energy economics.
Chris’ project experience includes measuring economic impacts, performing spatial analyses, conducting market feasibility analyses, and supporting funding application processes. In addition to supervising and mentoring analyst team members, he supports the firm’s partnership with the Drexel Co-op program and research assistant interns.
Since joining ESI as a senior analyst in 2023, Chris has helped lead the firm’s annual evaluation of the Taking Care of Business Clean Corridors program for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Commerce, providing valuable deliverables to highlight program effectiveness and growth. In addition to supporting the City’s Commerce Department, he has also worked on engagements for the City of Philadelphia’s Treasurers Office, and the Community College of Philadelphia.
In his previous career as an educator in Philadelphia’s Catholic schools, Chris gained formative experience working directly with the city’s youth and families. His career shift was shaped by internships with Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Office of Community and Economic Development, Public Financial Management’s Management and Budget Consulting practice, Drexel Solutions Institute, and as a Data Analyst with Esperanza Immigration Legal Services, a nonprofit organization located in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park section. In his continued commitment to community education initiatives, he coordinates an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program at a community center in the Point Breeze neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Chris graduated from Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business with a Master of Science in Economics. He is a member of the American Economic Association, Esri’s Young Professionals Network, and Philly 3.0. His education and professional affiliations underscore a career focused on thoughtful analysis, public service, and the practical application of economics to real-world policy and community challenges.
