12/27/2025
2026 WORD OF THE YEAR | INTENTIONALITY:
In 2026, I move with intentionality—in purpose, in partnership, and in impact.
I am Dr. Susan Simmons-Stevenson is the visionary leader of The Lifecycle Network, a Human Resources and Consulting firm she founded in 2006 to help organizations build people-centered, performance - driven workforce strategies. With more than two decades of experience in human resources and workforce strategy, she brings a systems-level approach to aligning talent, operations, and organizational growth.
Building on this foundation, Dr. Simmons-Stevenson founded Americans Thrive in 2019 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development and training organization created to bridge the employment skills gap and develop sustainable career pathways for underserved populations, including individuals impacted by the justice system and foster care. Grounded in a deep commitment to equity, access, and economic mobility, Americans Thrive equips individuals with the skills, support, and opportunities necessary for long-term success.
Under her leadership, Americans Thrive has emerged as the #1 Community Partner and Connector, convening employers, academic institutions, municipalities, and industry leaders across multiple sectors to ensure workforce solutions are actionable, employer-aligned, and impact-driven.
Across both organizations, Dr. Simmons-Stevenson’s leadership is defined by the integration of experiential and exponential learning models, strategic partnerships, and systems level thinking intentionally aligning education, workforce, and industry to deliver measurable outcomes and lasting community impact.
Rooted in intentionality, 2026 represents a deliberate inflection point personally and professionally to scale impact, expand partnership-driven growth, and build sustainable workforce pathways powered by relationships, data, and disciplined ex*****on.
