When I arrived at AVANT Communications’ headquarters in the Loop, my tour began with a room called the “Battle Lab.”
What could have been an ordinary conference room was equipped with some of the most high-tech video, audio and lighting equipment available. AVANT’s co-founder and President Drew Lydecker adjusted the room’s lights, turning them to bright red, and began explaining what the room is used for.
“This is a training facility. It’s a demo lab. It’s an executive briefing center, too,” he said. “What’s unique about it is that we set it up so that no matter what type of meeting needs to be in here, it’s highly customizable.”
AVANT, founded 10 years ago, is a sales-enablement company that has created a series of tech-based tools to help companies purchase the latest and greatest IT services—think office phone software and cloud computing systems.
AVANT helps train companies on how to implement these new IT resources into their everyday workflows. And the Battle Lab is mainly used for showing clients their options and walking them through how each works.
“We give people an agnostic approach to what the best technology is for them,” said Lydecker, pointing to a row of office phones that feature every phone system on the planet. “Because this technology is virtual, enablement and teaching people how it works, why it works and why it’s the future, is a very important part of the Battle Lab.”
AVANT moved into its office at 2 N. Riverside Plaza in 2017, and about 80 people work out of it now. AVANT has an additional 20 employees that work either remotely or in its office in London. But since its founding, Lydecker said the company’s turnover has been remarkably low, saying that only five people have ever left the company. AVANT has also been completely bootstrapped by Lydecker and his co-founder and CEO Ian Kieninger.
The company's open floorplan office features minimalist décor with pops of color. Exposed pipes have been painted blue and the kitchen chairs are red. Each computer monitor in the office is white (which was apparently, very difficult to find) and a basketball hoop hangs near the kitchen.
“It’s an ever-changing office,” Lydecker said. “Culture is everything for us—like everthing. We live and die by culture.”
On the office’s main floor, employees have access to conference rooms, a kitchen and a deck, which overlooks the Chicago River from the 24th floor. One floor above it all is a gym, complete with Peloton bikes, a yoga studio and locker rooms.
Go inside AVANT Communications’ office below:
