Our
Leadership
Ellen D. Harpel , Ph. D.
Ellen Harpel is the founder of Smart Incentives and president of Business Development Advisors LLC (BDA), an economic development and market intelligence consulting firm…
Darrene L. Hackler, Ph. D.
Darrene is a consultant based in Sacramento, California and Senior Advisor to Smart Incentives and Business Development Advisors. Darrene brings economic development expertise in…
Years In Business
Years of Experience
Active Partners
Workshops & Presentations
Our
Mission
To make economic development incentives work better for local, state and national governments. What does “better” mean? It means making sure incentives are used so that they demonstrably support economic development goals. We keep your incentives programs on target and focused on results. Good incentive programs are NOT handouts or giveaways to entice companies to relocate. Incentives are not just about winning a deal. Smart incentive programs are always connected to a larger economic development strategy and help communities grow in the ways they desire.
How
We Do It
Smart Incentives helps economic development organizations achieve better incentive outcomes by improving program design and providing processes and solutions for incentive program management. We have developed Smart Incentives because we believe that it is vital for economic development groups to have access to high-quality business intelligence, data and analytical tools in order to make the best decisions for their communities. Smart Incentives is also at the forefront of efforts to develop better processes for monitoring compliance and evaluating the effectiveness of incentive programs. Smart Incentives is a trusted thought leader on incentive program design and management.
[Smart Incentives does not work with companies seeking incentives]
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