It’s Our People Who Make Us: Innovating for Thriving Communities

When Ben Cook joined Avolve Software in January 2025 as VP of Engineering, it wasn’t just his technical expertise that made him a perfect fit. With several family members in the building trades, he also had unique understanding of the construction industry’s pain points that drew him to the company's mission. “I was very familiar with the planning and permitting process and how difficult it can be,” Ben said.  

Prior to joining Avolve, Ben had extensive experience in government technology at federal and state levels. With the shift to local governments, he welcomed the chance to create solutions that affect meaningful change in the communities where people work, live, and play.  

In his role as VP of Engineering, Ben drives the implementation of best practices in sustainable development, enabling Avolve to deliver on its ambitious and innovative roadmap.  

It’s precisely these innovative projects that Avolve is pursuing, particularly in artificial intelligence, that keep Ben engaged and excited to come to work every day. “We’re working on some really exciting AI projects — other companies in the GovTech space just aren’t doing that,” he said.  

The team is working on AI applications for plan review that delivers intentional AI—artificial intelligence purpose-designed for the government plan review process, grounded in decades of public sector expertise. 

Ben is particularly excited about how Avolve AI will continue to help mitigate the resource constraints that local governments face. “Every building office, every local government you go to is vastly understaffed,” Ben said. “Being able to help create technology solutions that ease those challenges is really exciting.” 

Quickly approaching his one-year mark with the company, Ben said Avolve’s culture extends beyond routine professional collaboration. “Every company wants to emphasize ‘we’ve got this great company culture’ but Avolve actually has it,” Ben said. “It’s a very supportive environment. I've had multiple people on my team that had to be out for personal reasons, and everybody else picks up slack, or checks in on them. It's really a great culture,” he added.