Michigan - May 2026 - As conversations around workplace culture, leadership, diversity, and belonging continue to evolve across the United States, US² Consulting is marking its 10-year anniversary by reflecting on how dramatically the landscape has changed and where organizations go from here.
Founded in 2016 by speaker, author, and leadership advisor Megan Fuciarelli, the organization has spent the past decade helping leaders build cultures rooted in trust, communication, authenticity, and human connection.
Over that same period, national conversations surrounding DEI, workplace belonging, and organizational culture have become increasingly polarized. According to Fuciarelli, many organizations are now struggling to navigate growing societal division while still creating environments where employees feel seen, heard, welcomed, and valued.
In the last ten years, US² has helped organizations navigate extremely sensitive events, such as:
“Over the last decade, we’ve watched organizations swing between silence, urgency, fear, and backlash,” said Fuciarelli. “What people are exhausted by is not the work itself. They’re exhausted by performative leadership, polarized conversations, and environments where people feel like they have to choose between honesty and safety. The future of this work has to be rooted in belonging, accountability, and the ability to have real conversations without shame, blame, or defensiveness.”
The anniversary also comes after a particularly turbulent period for many organizations operating within the DEI and workplace culture space. In 2025, US² Consulting was among organizations flagged during federal DOGE-related reviews, an experience Fuciarelli says reinforced concerns about how quickly institutions and people can be categorized without context.
“The last several years have shown how quickly organizations can move from urgency to fear, and from fear to retreat,” said Fuciarelli. “What impacted me most was seeing how many decisions were made based on assumptions about what this work is instead of conversations about what people actually need from leadership, culture, and belonging.”
Despite political shifts, changing workplace expectations, and evolving public sentiment, US² Consulting says demand for authentic leadership and belonging-focused workplace strategies continues to grow.
As Megan says: “The language may be changing, but the human need underneath the work is not.”
US² Consulting was originally born from Fuciarelli’s own personal journey toward understanding intersectionality, identity, and human connection after years working in education as both a teacher and administrator. What began as a passion project evolved into a consulting and leadership development firm focused on helping organizations foster cultures where people feel empowered to contribute authentically.
Today, the company offers keynote speaking, leadership training, strategic advising, coaching, and its CARES® Certification program, which focuses on Courage, Acceptance, Respect, Empathy, and Success as core leadership competencies.
As the company enters its next decade, Fuciarelli says the mission remains the same: “To create spaces where people can engage honestly, lead responsibly, and move forward together, even when they disagree.”
For more information, visit US² Consulting.
