Economic Development with the EDPA

Who's Investing in Alabama, and Why?

The Alabama Business Intelligence Center at EDPA Discusses Economic Development Activity

Ever wonder which industries are eyeing Alabama for their next big investment, or how to make sense of project incentives? This presentation explores economic development projects nationwide, unpacking sector trends and offering a practical framework for weighing incentive dollars against the value they return to communities large and small.

Jacob Lamb, Director of the Alabama Business Intelligence Center (AL Intel)

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Jacob Lamb is the Director of Research at the Alabama Business Intelligence Center. He is well-versed in quantitative economic research from his time as a Ph.D. student at Clemson University, where he studied industrial organization, public finance, and econometrics. In his role, he leverages his economics background to study company executives, analyze companies and their competitive positioning, and research market conditions for various industries.

Jacob was most recently a graduate assistant in the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University. His responsibilities included teaching microeconomics, macroeconomics, sports economics, and financial economics to undergraduate students, as well as producing research papers for his dissertation. He was awarded the Tollison Fellowship by his department for his efforts teaching and research efforts. He was also awarded “Best 3rd-Year Graduate Student Paper” by his department for his research on wagering market efficiency in English Football.

Jacob graduated with a B.S. in Economics from Auburn University, an M.A. in Economics from Clemson University, and in May 2023 with a Ph.D. in Economics from Clemson University. He is a member of the American Economic Association.

Lauren Hyde, Executive Vice President & Executive Director, Alabama Business Intelligence Center (AL Intel)

Lauren Hyde serves as the first Executive Director of the Alabama Business Intelligence Center (AL Intel), offering expertise through an investment lens, and as Executive Vice President of EDPA, ensuring connectivity between research and lead generation efforts. She is well-versed in public and private company analysis with work experience spanning economic and financial market research, private market due diligence, investment modeling, client-facing advising, and fund operations. Lauren was most recently a Senior Associate with EBSCO Capital.

Lauren is a Samford University graduate and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation. Lauren enjoys golf, travel, and hiking with her husband (Foster) and daughters.