Lodestar IT

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Operations Director of Impact House

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Impact House is a coworking and community space in Chicago’s Loop where foundations, nonprofits, and social impact organizations work, meet, and collaborate under one roof.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Lodestar IT to accomplish?

• We hired Lodestar IT to maintain and manage our network so our members and staff have reliable connectivity every day.
• We also needed to upgrade our firewall to strengthen security for a shared space with many organizations on one network.
• Finally, we wanted to upgrade our wireless access points to improve coverage and performance across our 40,000 square foot space.

SOLUTION

How did you find Lodestar IT?

Referral

Why did you select Lodestar IT over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Other

How many teammates from Lodestar IT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Lodestar IT provides ongoing network maintenance and management for Impact House, monitoring and supporting the infrastructure that our staff, members, and event guests rely on every day. Within that relationship, they lead two infrastructure upgrades. The firewall upgrade is complete. Lodestar assessed our existing setup, recommended a replacement that fit both our security needs and our budget, and handled the installation and configuration. The new firewall strengthens protection for a shared network that supports many member organizations at once. The access point upgrade is underway in phases. A full replacement across our 40,000 square foot space exceeded our budget, so Carson built a phased plan that prioritizes the areas with the greatest need first. This approach lets us improve wireless performance steadily without a single large expense, and it reflects exactly why we value working with Lodestar: they adapt the plan to our reality instead of pushing an all or nothing proposal.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our monthly network management costs dropped significantly after moving to Lodestar, which frees up budget for the upgrades our space needs. Just as valuable, we now have advice we trust. We aren’t IT experts, and with past vendors, technology decisions felt like a visit to the mechanic where we couldn’t tell what we truly needed. Carson explains our options plainly, recommends only what makes sense for the business, and gives us the confidence to make decisions without second-guessing them.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Lodestar IT manages projects with clear communication and realistic planning. Carson tells us upfront what each phase involves, what it costs, and what to expect, so there are no surprises along the way. He also prioritizes minimal disruption, scheduling installs and maintenance overnight and on weekends so our members and event guests never feel the impact.

The firewall upgrade went smoothly from recommendation through installation, and when the access point upgrade came in over budget, he restructured it into phases rather than leaving us stuck. When we have questions or issues, the team responds quickly and treats our needs as a priority.

What was your primary form of communication with Lodestar IT?

Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Carson is one of the smartest people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. He looks for the best solution for our specific situation, not just the standard answer, and he never settles for doing things the way they’ve always been done. He stays current on new options and technologies, and he regularly brings us solutions we didn’t know existed. That combination of expertise and curiosity means we always get thoughtful, forward-looking recommendations instead of a one-size-fits-all package.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Lodestar IT could have done differently?

Honestly, my only complaint is that Lodestar doesn’t handle more than IT. Their honesty, expertise, and care for our budget set a standard I wish every vendor met, and I would happily hand them more of our operations if I could.