trueU
trueU is a Fishers, Indiana-based people strategy firm delivering integrated HR operations, leadership development, talent consulting, and benefits/payroll services to 100+ mid-market and enterprise organizations across 30+ U.S. industries through subscription and cohort-based programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersFishers, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What trueU does
trueU is a Fishers, Indiana-based people strategy firm delivering integrated HR operations, leadership development, talent consulting, and benefits/payroll services to more than 100 organizations across 30+ industries in the United States. The service portfolio spans outsourced HR Operations (Core and Premium tiers), benefits strategy and administration, payroll processing, an ethics hotline, an HR help desk, and a four-tier Leadership Academy (Management Principles, Emerging Leader, Leader in Training, and Advanced Leader). Industry-specific offerings include Dental HR and HR for Trades. Public-facing customer logos include Republic Airways, Elements Financial, FHLBank Indianapolis, AllianceBank, Citizens State Bank, The MJ Companies, Cintas, Bosma Enterprises, Girl Scouts of Indiana, United Way of Central Indiana, and MCL Restaurants.
The methodology stack is anchored by two proprietary frameworks — the TalentDNA™ four-step process (Define, Develop, Align, Execute) and the Leadership DNA framework — augmented by licensed assessment integrations (Everything DiSC, Working Genius, Five Behaviors, Productive Conflict). Supporting technology is a conventional HRIS/payroll/benefits platform with employee self-service rather than a proprietary AI system. The Culture Community, with 100+ member organizations, a dedicated member-success manager, and SHRM-credited peer events, functions as both a product and a distribution channel.
Revenue is generated through subscription/recurring fees (HR Operations, benefits, payroll, ethics hotline, HR help desk, Culture Community membership) and professional services (TalentDNA consulting and cohort-based Leadership Academy enrollments at $3,000–$5,500 per leader). Distribution is primarily direct sales via discovery sessions, supported by regional in-person events in Fishers, IN and Cincinnati, OH, content marketing and a blog, virtual events, and a 16-partner Thought Partner referral network. Leadership is concentrated among four partners — Founder Mike Lantz, President Chris Mills, Chief Culture Officer Amber Fields, and Chief of Staff Kristin Borgert — with a Chief Learning Officer and functional VPs running HR, Talent, and Business Development.
trueU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- trueU
- Legal name
- trueU
- Website
- https://trueu.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- trueU is a Fishers, Indiana-based people strategy firm delivering integrated HR operations, leadership development, talent consulting, and benefits/payroll services to 100+ mid-market and enterprise organizations across 30+ U.S. industries through subscription and cohort-based programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
trueU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- HR & Leadership Development Services
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Leadership Assessment, 360 Feedback & Development Planning (EDABAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA), Corporate & Leadership Development (BPACANAA), Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH), Succession Planning & High-Potential (HiPo) Leadership Programs (EDABAAAL), Inclusive Leadership & Leading Diverse Teams (EDABAAAM)
Keywords
Where trueU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fishers
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
trueU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- HR Operations Services: Outsourced HR operations delivered at two service tiers: Core (foundational HR including compliance, employee relations, onboarding, handbook management, leave management, SOP development) and Premium (strategic HR including talent acquisition, compensation benchmarking, organizational design, culture development, workforce planning, leadership training). Pricing is customized based on organization size and scope.
- Benefits Administration: Full-service benefits strategy and administration including medical/dental/vision plans, HSA/FSA accounts, mental health and wellness programs, leave management, 401(k) oversight, life and disability coverage, COBRA/ACA compliance, and employee perks. Revenue generated through plan management fees and consulting engagements.
- Payroll Processing: Full-service payroll administration including accurate payroll processing, tax filings, multi-state compliance, new hire reporting, benefits deduction tracking, ACA reporting, audit-ready recordkeeping, and dedicated payroll specialist support. Bundled with HRIS platform.
- Ethics Hotline: Anonymous employee reporting hotline with 24-hour VP-level HR response. Sold on a month-to-month basis with pricing based on team size. Protects organizations from compliance and risk exposure.
- HR Help Desk: Real-time HR support connecting business leaders directly to experienced HR professionals. Provides strategic guidance on federal and state employment laws, HR risk reduction, and compliant workforce decisions. Accessed on a subscription or per-incident basis.
- Culture Community Membership: Exclusive membership community providing access to culture leaders, peer learning events, members-only training, tools and resources, and a dedicated member-success manager. Serves as both a product and a GTM motion.
- Leadership Academy Programs: Cohort-based leadership development programs sold per leader to member and non-member organizations. Programs include Management Principles, Emerging Leader, Leader in Training (in-person and virtual), and Advanced Leader. Revenue per enrollment.
- Talent Strategy Consulting: Strategic talent and culture consulting engagements using the proprietary TalentDNA™ process to align talent strategy with business goals. Includes organizational structure design, succession planning, and employer brand strategy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Management Principles Cohort 2 — In-person program for managers covering tactical skills, team management, and HR processes |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Leader in Training (LIT) Virtual Cohort 3 — Virtual program for mid-level managers building confidence and competence |
| Subscription | Annual | HR Core Services — Foundational HR operations including compliance, employee relations, onboarding, handbook management, and leave management |
| Subscription | Annual | HR Premium Services — Strategic HR operations including talent acquisition, compensation benchmarking, organizational design, culture development, and workforce planning |
| Subscription | Monthly | Ethics Hotline — Anonymous employee reporting with 24-hour VP-level HR response and confidential interview process |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
trueU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
trueU delivers integrated HR and leadership development services to U.S. mid-market and enterprise organizations. Its offering combines outsourced HR Operations (Core compliance-focused and Premium strategic HR tiers), Benefits Strategy & Administration, Payroll Services, an Ethics Hotline, and an HR Help Desk with the proprietary TalentDNA™ talent strategy process and a Culture Community membership platform. The Leadership Academy provides four cohort-based leadership programs built on the proprietary Leadership DNA framework, supported by DiSC, Working Genius, and Five Behaviors assessments, with industry-specific HR packages for dental practices and trades/construction businesses.
Product overview
trueU is a full-service people strategy company offering integrated HR and leadership development solutions. The core offering consists of HR Operations (Core and Premium tiers), Benefits Strategy & Administration, Payroll Services, Ethics Hotline, and HR Help Desk. These are supported by the proprietary TalentDNA™ strategy process and a Culture Community platform. The Leadership Academy provides four cohort-based programs (Management Principles, Emerging Leader, Leader in Training, Advanced Leader) using the Leadership DNA framework. Assessment tools include DiSC, Working Genius, Five Behaviors, and Productive Conflict. Industry-specific solutions are offered for Dental and Trades sectors. All services are designed to work together as an integrated people strategy system, backed by over 250 years of combined experience across more than 100 organizations and 30 industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TalentDNA: A proprietary process used to build effective, results-oriented people strategies tailored to organizations.
- TalentDNA™
Products and services
- HR Operations (Core) Foundational outsourced HR operations including a dedicated HR team, compliance management (I-9s, eVerify, record retention), employee relations, pre-boarding/orientation, exit processes, job description development, employee handbook maintenance, leave management, and SOP development. Designed for mid-market and enterprise organizations that need a compliant, scalable HR backbone without an internal HR department.
- HR Operations (Premium) Strategic outsourced HR services building on the Core tier, covering talent acquisition, succession planning, compensation strategy and benchmarking, organizational structure and design, culture development, strategic workforce planning, and employer brand strategy. For organizations seeking strategic, not just operational, HR partnership.
- Benefits Strategy & Administration Full-service benefits administration including medical, dental, and vision plans; HSA/FSA accounts; retirement plans (including 401(k) oversight); life and disability coverage; mental health and wellness programs; leave management; COBRA/ACA compliance; and employee perks. Delivered through plan management fees and consulting engagements.
- Payroll Services Full-service payroll processing including accurate payroll administration, federal and state tax filings and withholding, new hire reporting, benefits and ACA deduction tracking, audit-ready recordkeeping, dedicated payroll specialist support, and nationwide multi-state compliance. Bundled with the underlying HRIS platform.
- Ethics Hotline Confidential, anonymous employee reporting hotline accessible by phone and email, with a 24-hour response from a seasoned VP of Human Resources through a confidential interview process. Sold month-to-month with pricing based on team size to protect organizations from compliance and risk exposure.
- HR Help Desk Real-time HR advisory desk connecting business leaders directly to experienced HR professionals for guidance on federal and state employment laws, HR risk reduction, and compliant workforce decision-making. Accessed on a subscription or per-incident basis.
- TalentDNA™ (Talent Strategy Consulting) Proprietary four-step talent and culture strategy consulting process (Define, Develop, Align, Execute) that aligns people strategy with business and financial planning, including organizational structure design, succession planning, and employer brand strategy.
- Culture Community Membership Exclusive membership community providing access to culture leaders, peer learning events, members-only training, tools and resources, and a dedicated member-success manager. Acts as both a standalone offering and a GTM motion driving referrals.
- Leadership Academy Cohort-based leadership development program built on the proprietary Leadership DNA framework, offering four progressive levels (Management Principles, Emerging Leader, Leader in Training, and Advanced Leader). Sold per leader to member and non-member organizations in multi-company or private company cohort formats, with optional assessments such as DiSC and Working Genius integrated into the curriculum.
- Dental HR Industry-specific HR services tailored for dental practices, including compliance risk protection, team culture building, hiring and retention systems targeted at hygienists and assistants, front-desk leadership development, and workforce planning for multi-location expansion.
- HR for Trades Industry-specific HR services for trade and construction businesses, including a dedicated HR team, compliance management (I-9s, policies), employee relations, onboarding and offboarding, job descriptions, SOPs, hiring strategy, organizational structure design, succession planning, and leadership support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100+ organizations served across 30+ industries
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use trueU
Customer profileNamed customers27 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
trueU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
trueU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- AAA SolutionsminorWorkplace culture and DEI consultancy providing audits, assessments, and strategic planning for leaders to elevate employee experience and engagement. Contact: Andrew Adeniyi.
- 240 SolutionsminorMetrics-based coaching firm helping executives improve human experience through belonging, vulnerability, and shared purpose. Provides coaching and master-facilitation for team and leader development. Contact: Adam Binkerd.
- GBKB Consulting (Gerald Bush)minorCulture strategy, executive coaching, and leadership development consultancy. Focuses on emotional intelligence, team building, change management, and succession planning. Contact: Gerald Bush.
- INOV8RminorCertified Working Genius facilitator and coaching firm for integrators and operational executives. Contact: Jasen Coldiron.
- Pete the Planner (Peter Dunn)minorFinancial planning and workplace culture advisory firm. Contact: Peter Dunn.
- EOS WorldwideminorEOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) provides a simple, powerful business operating system covering vision, traction, and team health. Contact: Bob Fasick and Ashley Walters.
- OutgrowminorSales growth methodology providing predictable annual sales growth through a bat-swinging approach. Offered alongside EOS Worldwide. Contact: Bob Fasick.
- WE Thrive Live (Rebecca Fleetwood Hession)minorLeadership, profitable growth, and authentic confidence consultancy. Helps leaders heal, redefine success, and engage teams for collective impact. Contact: Rebecca Fleetwood Hession.
- Handle with Care Consulting (Liesel Mertes)minorHuman-centric culture consultancy equipping leaders and teams with empathy skills to create cultures of care, especially during disruptive life events. Contact: Liesel Mertes.
- Blind Zebra (Bryan Neale)minorB2B sales operating system firm providing repeatable sales processes and guiding principles, monthly peer coaching groups for sales leaders, and keynote speaking. Contact: Bryan Neale.
- VIP Center for Women (Angie Nuttle)minorExecutive coaching and consulting for influential presence, social agility, and communication strategy. Also provides business coaching for women entrepreneurs. Contact: Angie Nuttle.
- Practically Speaking, LLC (Alex Perry)minorCommunication skills training for leaders covering confidence, presentation skills, and public speaking. Offers individual coaching and group training. Contact: Alex Perry.
- Gawlo (Tony Sanders)minorLeadership development, management/executive coaching, and development training helping organizations align teams to business goals. Contact: Tony Sanders.
- Samuel G. Thompson Inc. (Sam Thompson)minorDISC facilitation workshops, The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team workshops, and Ken Blanchard SLII Experience certified training. Contact: Sam Thompson.
- Omni Touchpoint (Pete van Overwalle)minorBehavioral change consultancy using a 'Go In To Go Out' approach covering innovation, adaptability/change, and talent development. Contact: Pete van Overwalle.
- The Conscious Habit (Amy Woodall)minorTransformative leadership coaching helping leaders align with their best selves, overcome limiting beliefs, and lead with clarity and compassion. Contact: Amy Woodall.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
trueU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- BetterUp: BetterUp provides AI-driven leadership coaching, development, and team performance solutions sold to enterprise HR leaders. It overlaps with trueU's leader development and culture offerings, but is delivered primarily through 1:1 virtual coaching and a SaaS platform rather than cohort-based programs and outsourced HR operations.
- Culture Amp: Culture Amp is an employee engagement, performance, and culture platform with learning and development modules. It serves similar HR leader personas and overlaps with trueU's culture and leadership development offerings, but as a software-led product rather than a service-led, cohort-based, community-driven model.
Regional players
- EOS Worldwide: EOS Worldwide delivers the Entrepreneurial Operating System to small and mid-market businesses, providing leadership team alignment, accountability, and traction tools. It is both a trueU thought partner and a peer in the mid-market leadership and operating system category, with comparable target customers and overlapping frameworks.
Direct peers
- TriNet: TriNet is a PEO serving small and mid-market companies with HR outsourcing, benefits administration, payroll, and risk mitigation. Like trueU, TriNet targets growth-oriented companies that need full-stack HR support, but lacks trueU's proprietary leadership academy and Culture Community peer-learning layer.
- Insperity: Insperity is a leading PEO that provides outsourced HR, benefits, payroll, and compliance services to mid-market businesses, directly competing with trueU's HR Operations Core and Premium tiers. Both target CEOs and HR leaders seeking scalable people infrastructure. Insperity has greater scale and technology, but trueU differentiates through integrated leadership development and a community model.
- DDI (Development Dimensions International): DDI is a global leadership development firm specializing in leadership assessment, selection, and training for managers and executives. Its assessment-led methodology and multi-level leadership curricula are structurally similar to trueU's TalentDNA™ and Leadership Academy approach, and it serves many of the same mid-market and enterprise HR leader buyers.
- FranklinCovey: FranklinCovey is a global leadership and organizational performance company selling cohort-based leadership development programs (e.g., "7 Habits," "Leading at the Speed of Trust") to mid-market and enterprise customers. It is one of the closest pure-play comparables to trueU's Leadership Academy, with a similar assessment-driven, multi-level curriculum approach and a focus on measurable behavior change.
- Dale Carnegie Training: Dale Carnegie Training delivers leadership, communication, and professional development courses to mid-market and enterprise clients, with a similar cohort-based enrollment model and an in-person plus virtual delivery mix. It is a direct peer to trueU's Leadership Academy programs and shares trueU's emphasis on people-manager development.
Broad incumbents
- ADP TotalSource: ADP TotalSource is the PEO arm of ADP, providing HR outsourcing, payroll, benefits, and compliance to mid-market and larger companies. It is the largest-scale competitor to trueU's HR Operations service lines and a relevant incumbent for any customer comparing outsourced HR providers.
- Paychex: Paychex is a large-scale payroll, HR, and benefits administration provider for SMBs. It overlaps with trueU's payroll, benefits administration, and HR help desk services but serves a much broader market and does not offer the integrated leadership development, assessment-based curriculum, or culture community that trueU uses as differentiation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
trueU social profiles
Digital presencetrueU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
trueU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
trueU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
trueU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about trueU
What does trueU do?
trueU delivers integrated HR and leadership development services to U.S. mid-market and enterprise organizations. Its offering combines outsourced HR Operations (Core compliance-focused and Premium strategic HR tiers), Benefits Strategy & Administration, Payroll Services, an Ethics Hotline, and an HR Help Desk with the proprietary TalentDNA™ talent strategy process and a Culture Community membership platform. The Leadership Academy provides four cohort-based leadership programs built on the proprietary Leadership DNA framework, supported by DiSC, Working Genius, and Five Behaviors assessments, with industry-specific HR packages for dental practices and trades/construction businesses.
Is trueU a public or private company?
trueU is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was trueU founded?
trueU was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is trueU based?
trueU is headquartered in Fishers, United States, in the North America region.
How does trueU make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. HR Operations Services are the primary driver. The others are benefits Administration, payroll Processing, ethics Hotline, HR Help Desk, culture Community Membership, leadership Academy Programs and talent Strategy Consulting.
Who are trueU's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are BetterUp and Culture Amp. EOS Worldwide is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are TriNet, Insperity, DDI (Development Dimensions International), FranklinCovey and Dale Carnegie Training. Broad incumbents are ADP TotalSource and Paychex.
Does trueU have an API?
No public API is recorded for trueU.
What industry is trueU in?
trueU's product category is HR & Leadership Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAAAK, Leadership Assessment, 360 Feedback & Development Planning, with a secondary code of EDABAAAA, Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development. Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8600.