The Hub of Casual Interactions

A Bevi office water dispenser brings together people, fun, and healthy beverages at BitSight

Headquartered on the 19th and 20th floors of the Prudential Center, BitSight offers its employees and visitors a stunning view of Boston’s Back Bay. But the first sight to often capture attention is the Bevi office water dispenser just outside the elevator doors on Floor 19.

“Customers, employees, prospective hires – they all go by the Bevi machine,” says Jen Adamson, Facilities and Employee Events Coordinator at BitSight. “It’s a great wow factor for us.”

BitSight is no stranger to generating amazement. In 2011, the company pioneered the security ratings market and is transforming how businesses manage cybersecurity risks.

The 180 employees at BitSight enjoy an office that’s self-described as welcoming, friendly, and inclusive. Jen was a driving force in creating much of the look and feel of the space. “The push to include Bevi actually came from the employees,” she recalls. “I thought it was a bit frivolous, but there was such enthusiasm for it, we signed up.”

It didn’t take long for Jen to know it was a home run. Before the Bevi dispenser, Jen was often the one who had to hoist and load the large 5-gallon water jugs when their old water cooler ran dry. “You really only get one shot. And no matter how careful you are, there’s always some spillage.” Jen was also responsible for keeping the kitchen refrigerator stocked with bottles and cans of flavored water. With Bevi taking care of supplies and service, it streamlined a big part of her office manager role. “People were always asking for water. And if we ran out of a particular flavor it was crisis time. I’d be asking, ‘When’s the delivery guy coming back? Can I get him in here today?’ Now, that doesn’t happen anymore.”

Part of the social fabric

The Bevi machine had a noticeable effect shortly after its arrival. “It became part of everyone’s daily routine,” says Jen. “You’d grab a coffee in the morning and fill up your cup or tumbler from the Bevi.” It quickly became so popular that it wasn’t usual to see people queuing up in front of the dispenser.

BitSight’s People Operations Manager, Sarah Giaccai, immediately saw benefits beyond just providing healthy beverages. “A big part of my role is employee engagement and culture.” Sarah adds, “The Bevi is truly a modern meeting place. For me, I’m able to catch up with people from the groups I don’t necessarily work with directly, like the data science team.” Sarah believes these casual conversations are critically important for organizations, especially those like BitSight that are fueled by innovation. “The kind of interactions that develop when you’re talking with people in person, those are the ones that spark new ideas and encourage collaboration.”

A fun new co-worker

The Bevi dispenser is also a source of fun and a relaxing outlet for the fast pace and intensity that comes with a tech startup. “The flavors have been a game changer,” remarks Jen. “People are very much aware when there’s a new flavor and they’re not shy to try new things and share their opinions.”

Bevi is also supporting the work of the corporate social responsibility team, BitSight Cares. “Sustainability is a value that’s emerged from our employees up, rather than from the top down,” says Jen. “With Bevi, we can actually see how many bottles and cans we’re saving in real time. And that’s also saving our facilities and housekeeping teams from having to clean up and dispose of all that waste.” Sarah also loves the bottle counter feature. “I play a game to see how many bottles I can save, and I’ve actually overflowed my water bottle a couple of times because I’ve been so focused on the counter.”

Spreading the flavors, fizz and fun

The appeal of the Bevi machine has expanded beyond the two floors of the Boston office. BitSight added a second machine to their office in Raleigh, NC. “We often had people coming up here for meetings or training, and they loved it as much as we did, so it only seemed fair to let them enjoy one as well,” says Jen.

Both machines fit right in with the company’s friendly, inclusive culture. “We have really smart people who do really amazing work and like to have a lot of fun together,” says Jen. “Whether it’s Lunch and Learn events on Fridays or people just chatting and sharing jokes in the café space, we’re always looking for ways to bring people together, and the Bevi does that on a daily basis.”