About the ICS Certificate & InCDP Certification Programs
The Willing Observers’ Inclusive Culture Strategy (ICS) Certificate and Inclusive Culture Strategy Certified Diversity Professional (InCDP) Certification programs provide participants with a comprehensive foundation in organizational culture and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) competency.
Facilitated by Dr. Luzilda (Lucy) Arciniega and Dr. Melissa (Missy) Maceyko, this virtual, and mostly self-guided, certification program leverages the facilitators’ extensive expertise in culture and ethnography to offer a contemporary anthropological perspective to DEIB.
About the Value
These ICS Certificate and InCDP Certification programs aim to equip current and aspiring professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to create inclusive workplaces. By addressing the systemic inequities embedded in cultural systems, participants will learn to create inclusive culture change within their departments or organizations. The program's focus on cultural reflexivity ensures that participants can effectively address issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging internally in their workplaces, and externally, in society.
About the Benefits
Through successful completion of the program, participants will:
receive a digital credential and badge to promote their ICS Certificate or InCDP. Credentials indicate proficiency in organizational culture and DEIB and ability to apply these competencies to create inclusive workplaces.
gain access to a wide network of DEIB peers & professionals.
have the opportunity to participate in live sessions with Dr. Arciniega and Dr. Maceyko, with additional strategy sessions for InCDP participants.
obtain SHRM & HRCI recertification credits.
receive discount codes for DEIB-related events and workshops.
Upon successful oral defense of the DEIB Strategic Plan, InCDP participants will also receive a formal InCDP designation.
About Our Instructors
Dr. Luzilda (Lucy) Arciniega (she/her/ella)
Co-Founder of Willing Observers
PhD in Anthropology
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Dr. Luzilda Arciniega brings over a decade of experience in the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) industry. Formerly, she served as the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Lucy is a scholar-practitioner whose work has been published in both academic journals and popular media, including through her "Diversity in the Workplace" column for the American Anthropology Association from 2017-2019. Her most cited academic article is "Selling Diversity to White Men," published in Organization.
At the National Diversity Council, Lucy served in various roles. She served as Managing Director of the NDC Index, where she oversaw a comprehensive survey measuring organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion. Her innovative methodology and detailed reports helped numerous organizations from corporations to higher-education departments and institutions develop effective diversity and inclusion strategies and measure year-to-year progress. Until the NDC ceased operations, Lucy worked closely with the National Diversity Council as faculty of their NDCCDP program and member of their consulting network. She also helped them revamp and update the NDCCDP curriculum in 2024.
Lucy has also held academic positions, including as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Wayne State University and as Lecturer at California State University, Long Beach. Lucy continues to advise graduate students and sit on dissertation committees.
Lucy holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology from the University of California, Irvine, and two B.A.s from the University of California, Berkeley. Her doctoral research on the diversity and inclusion industry received numerous accolades, including the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Grant.
Lucy resides in San Diego, California, with her two cats, Billy and Chicho.
Dr. Melissa (Missy) Maceyko (she/her)
Co-Founder of Willing Observers
PhD in Anthropology
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Dr. Melissa (Missy) Maceyko is a distinguished scholar-practitioner with a focus on the role of interpersonal communication in DEIB initiatives, social change, and political action. She has published extensively in both academic journals and popular media, including contributions to Anthropology News and the World of Work Blog. Missy is a regular public speaker and trainer on DEIB issues and practices for professional organizations and has served as the Executive Director of the Allyship Center, where she designed research initiatives and tailored training programs.
Since earning her Ph.D. in 2016, Missy has also taught at California State University, Long Beach, designing and delivering courses in Anthropology, Linguistics, Gender Studies, Global Development, DEIB Methods, Constitutional Law, and Political Science. Her involvement in campus climate and public education initiatives, including her role as Chair of the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, highlights her ongoing commitment to DEIB in organizations. She also serves as director of Public Policy for the California State Board for the American Association of University Women, shaping the organization’s legislative agenda and collaborating on social justice initiatives.
Missy received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology from the University of Virginia, with additional M.A.s in General Linguistics and Anthropology. She holds a B.A. in Political Theory and English Literature from Allegheny College and a certificate in Language Documentation from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Missy is currently authoring a book on communication strategies for conflict resolution and social movements. She currently lives in Long Beach, California with her partner, Eric.
About Willing Observers, Inc
Willing Observers, founded by Dr. Luzilda Arciniega and Dr. Melissa Maceyko, offers professional consulting, training, and coaching services to address inequities stemming from everyday practices. With over 30 years of combined experience, the founders are dedicated to enhancing cultural competency, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in organizations. Their approach prioritizes understanding culture as the foundation for effective DEIB work, recognizing that fairness and equity are deeply embedded in cultural beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, and practices.
Willing Observers is guided by the belief that awareness of our own and others' differences strengthens relationships and drives organizational and social change. Willing Observers’ goal is to empower leaders and employees with the knowledge and skills needed to foster inclusive workplaces, positively impacting business success and society as a whole.