WHO WE ARE
Davila Applied Anthropological Research (DAAR) is a certified Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) — a bilingual, equity-centered research and business advisory firm founded by Applied Anthropologist Miguel Angel Davila.
At DAAR, we bring together the disciplines of applied anthropology, community organizing, and digital strategy to help organizations grow with purpose. We work at the intersection of culture, data, and equity — where insight becomes action and research becomes transformation.
Our clients include start-ups, small businesses, established firms, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs with disabilities. Through deep, context-driven analysis and original programming, DAAR enables organizations to uncover hidden opportunities, strengthen operations, and advance social good.
mission
To build a more equitable economy by empowering organizations to make informed, culturally grounded decisions that lead to measurable community impact.
VISION
We envision a world where business success and social justice are not competing goals but shared outcomes. Through Applied Anthropology, community engagement, and data-driven insight, DAAR equips clients to align profitability with purpose.
What We Offer
DAAR is more than a research firm — we are a partner in transformation. Our work integrates academic rigor with hands-on strategy, offering a full range of services designed to strengthen both organizational capacity and community connection.
Our Core Services
As a MWBE for-profit enterprise, DAAR reinvests knowledge and resources into initiatives that bridge economic advancement and equity. The business has earned grants and awards supporting its commitment to inclusive research, applied innovation, and leadership development.
Applied and Business Anthropology
Cultural analysis, market research, and organizational studies that reveal behavioral and systemic patterns driving success or stagnation.
Community Organizing and Participatory Research
Collaborative frameworks that center lived experience and empower communities to co-create change alongside institutions and business leaders.
Digital Advertising and Market Communication
Data-informed campaign development and audience research to build authentic, inclusive brand narratives that resonate across cultures.
Data Analysis and Strategic Advising
Quantitative and qualitative insights translated into practical strategies for growth, inclusion, and sustainability.
Equity-Driven Program Design
Original programming that integrates community-based research and inclusive business models to generate lasting social impact.
Our Approach:
Knowledge as Practice
DAAR operates through a living methodology — a continual dialogue between research, experience, and practice. Rather than fixed stages or linear frameworks, we engage in an iterative process of inquiry, collaboration, and applied intervention.
Our epistemology is rooted in anthropology’s humanistic tradition, yet advanced through the lens of contemporary digital and organizational realities. We treat knowledge as an evolving system — one that connects cultural context with data, identity with opportunity, and research with real-world transformation.
This approach allows DAAR to move seamlessly between disciplines: blending community organizing with strategic consulting, integrating ethnographic methods into digital advertising, and translating anthropological insight into business intelligence.
A Commitment to
Equity and Impact
DAAR operates at the convergence of research, entrepreneurship, and community. Our work is grounded in the belief that data and anthropology can be instruments of justice, not just tools for analysis.
Every engagement — from digital advertising to policy research — reflects our commitment to accessibility, representation, and impact. We build strategies that uplift marginalized voices, strengthen local economies, and help organizations lead with both intelligence and integrity.
DAAR is proof that a for-profit business can create measurable social value — that research and community engagement are not separate pursuits, but shared responsibilities.
Why Applied Anthropology Matters
Applied Anthropology transforms how organizations understand people — not as consumers or data points, but as complex cultural participants. In a world where algorithms often miss nuance, DAAR brings depth and dimension. DAAR’s practice goes beyond consultation — it’s a model for doing good business in a way that is both profitable and principled
Engage with diverse markets through cultural fluency and empathy.
Build equitable partnerships with communities and stakeholders.
Develop policies and programs informed by both data and lived experience.
Design campaigns and services that reflect authentic representation and inclusion.
Meet the Founder:
Miguel Angel Davila
Miguel Angel Davila is an Applied Anthropologist, community organizer, and consultant redefining how businesses and organizations use research to create social and economic value.
As a bilingual leader with expertise spanning business anthropology, digital strategy, and urban studies, Miguel integrates cultural theory with practical applications that strengthen operations, marketing, and policy. He is passionate about using research to empower underrepresented communities and to promote systems of equity through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Miguel’s journey reflects resilience and purpose. A first-generation Hispanic male from East Harlem and a proud product of public education, he overcame periods of homelessness while earning multiple degrees and establishing DAAR as a vehicle for social and economic advancement.
About Miguel Angel Davila
A Dynamic, Human-Centered Researcher and Strategist Miguel Angel Davila is an equity-driven researcher and strategist whose work bridges Applied Anthropology, community organizing, digital advertising, and data-driven analysis. His interdisciplinary approach translates cultural, behavioral, and organizational insights into practical strategies that strengthen businesses, community institutions, and public systems.
As a bilingual communicator and applied researcher, Miguel connects stakeholders across sectors — from technical teams to community groups — ensuring that decisions are grounded in lived experience, cultural understanding, and human-centered data. His expertise spans business anthropology, digital strategy, community engagement, urban systems, and qualitative and quantitative research.
Origin & Mission
Born in East Harlem, Miguel is a first-generation Hispanic scholar and entrepreneur whose lived experience informs DAAR’s commitment to equity and community impact. Growing up in a low-income household and navigating periods of homelessness, he pursued higher education while balancing work, advocacy, and research — a journey that grounds his belief in resilience, collective responsibility, and structural change.
In 2022, he founded Davila Applied Anthropological Research (DAAR), LLC, a certified MWBE firm rooted in social justice, cultural understanding, and inclusive economic development. Miguel participated in entrepreneurship programming such as The Viscardi Center’s Pilot Program for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities, where he advanced as a Second-Place Finalist, strengthening DAAR’s capacity to support underrepresented communities.
His story reinforces the core principle of DAAR: research, culture, policy, and business can come together to create long-term, meaningful change.
Education & Academic Engagement
Experience & Community Engagement
Partner With DAAR
If your organization seeks insight that bridges business growth and social good, DAAR is ready to collaborate. We combine the science of data with the art of human understanding to help you see beyond the surface and act with purpose.
Connect with DAAR today to explore how Applied Anthropology, community organizing, and digital strategy can advance your mission, deepen your impact, and strengthen your organization from within.
OUR CLIENTS STORIES
"As a start up, I utilized Davila Applied Anthropological Research for marketing, statistical trends and demographical data with a focus on creating pitch decks and other communications for investors and applying for grants. Miguel’s team provided much needed insight on what marketing angles would be most effective. This service is a must have for companies looking to scale their growth. Kudos to Davila Anthropological Research Company!!!"
“We went to Miguel during a critical time in our organizational life cycle, as we were seeking to improve our fundraising efforts while building much needed partnerships. Miguel’s professional and expertise were unmatched, as he conducted research, analyzed data, built reports, and created presentation decks. Working with our leadership team, Miguel smartly and inventively found alignment between his passion for anthropology with the practical development needs of a non-profit.”
Contact Us
Hours
M-F : 9am - 5pm
Saturday : 11am - 4pm
Sunday : Closed
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