Pennsylvania is known as a notoriously tough place to start or run a business, but its new Chief Transformation Officer Ben Kirshner is working on changing that, writes Don Steinberg for the Philadelphia Magazine.

Kirshner is the head of the newly created Office of Transformation and Opportunity. He was recruited by Gov. Josh Shapiro to be a liaison between businesses and the state’s slow-walking agencies so they can together work to unravel knots of red tape.

“I understand how companies think, especially in dealmaking mode,” said Kirshner. “I know the questions they’re gonna ask. I know what they want to hear about.”

His unit supports Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, which provides tax credits, loans, and grants to attract companies here.

His first major incentive at his new position was working with state agencies to determine if each undue delay was a result of problems with staffing, technology, legislation, or something else.

The results are already materializing. For example, the Department of State reduced the average processing time for business and corporate filings to three days from the previous eight weeks.

Read more about how Ben Kirshner is changing Pennsylvania’s reputation for being a tough place to start or run a business in the Philadelphia Magazine.

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