When you walk into the Buoy Health office, you are greeted by wagging tails and excited yips. Employees are encouraged to bring their furry friends to work, and the dogs have plenty of space to roam in Buoy's new 11,000-sq.-ft. South End space. Formerly in Back Bay, Buoy set up shop in the new office in January.
"We were trying to find a place that felt very Buoy, that represented our culture, that felt low-key but serious enough to reflect the important work that we do here," said Caitlin Reiche, Buoy's chief operating officer. "And also, no marble lobbies or things that were a little too formal for us. This space just really felt right."
Buoy worked with Leggat McCall Properties and Union Office Interiors to design the space.
Founded in 2013, Buoy offers consumers an AI-driven virtual health assistant. Health is at the forefront of Buoy's mission, and the bright and airy office space reflects that. The office is stocked with healthy snacks and drinks from local companies like Bevi and Joyride, along with coffee and kombucha on tap. Everyone's desk has a plant on it, provided by Buoy, and additional large leafy plants are placed strategically throughout the office.
Sturdy brick walls hearken to a time when the building housed the Goodyear Shoe Factory, once another institution for innovation. Employees are encouraged to eat their lunch at one of many communal spaces or relax with a game of ping pong. Meetings can be held on a cozy couch or in one of many conference rooms, all of which have nautical names like "port" and "starboard."
In large letters on one wall, a quote by Dr. Warner Slack reads, "In the back of my mind was the idea that the computer might actually help patients to help themselves with their medical problems." Slack was one of Buoy's first advisors and a mentor to Buoy CEO Andrew Le.
"We will definitely be expanding in this space," Reiche said. "I think we can have up to 120 or 130 employees working in this space."
Buoy currently has 60 employees, most of whom work in Boston. The rest are remote or work out of Buoy's New York office. The startup has doubled in size over the past year and expects to hire at least another 30 people in 2020 across all functions.
Click or swipe through the gallery below to check out the space.
