Fellowship program enables visionary leaders for Hawaiʻi to emerge from all sectors

The Hawai‘i Leadership Forum has opened applications for the 10th cohort of its Omidyar Fellows program this month.

The Omidyar Fellows program emphasizes leadership immersion with ʻāina, along with building strong relationships and networks, to enable Fellows to lead with purpose, mobilize communities, and amplify positive change throughout Hawai‘i.

Cohort 10 will commence its 18-month leadership program in October 2025, featuring orientation, monthly sessions, overnight retreats, and “talk story” sessions with community, business, and government leaders.

New for Cohort 10 is the Immersive Huaka‘i, where each Fellow will design an experience that helps them better align their intentions with their impact.

Following the curriculum, Fellows will co-create a practicum and transition into the Forum of Fellows, an active network of 131 leaders committed to driving meaningful, long-term change in Hawai‘i.

“Now more than ever, Hawai‘i needs visionary leaders who are rooted in local values, willing to courageously step forward, able to engage with empathy, and committed to working with and for others,” said AJ Halagao, president of Hawai‘i Leadership Forum. “We’re calling those ready to rise to this moment and help shape an even better Hawai‘i.”

These program elements define the Omidyar Fellows opportunity:

• Hawai‘i-Based Leadership  
  • The Omidyar Fellows program is an enduring commitment designed to lead to a more thriving Hawai‘i. And so, ‘ike Hawai‘i, the knowledge that comes from Hawai‘i, is critical to support leadership that is good for Hawai‘i.
• Cohort-Based Learning 
  • One context for transformative learning is community which creates the basis for moving forward together.
• Leadership Sessions
  • These sessions draw from many teachers. The interdependent strengths of leadership are developed through practice, reflection, and sharing.
• Talk Story with Leaders 
  • Conversations are hosted the evening before leadership sessions. Fellows, in teams of three, will be responsible for hosting these storytelling sessions with leaders of Hawaiʻi.
• Immersive Huakaʻi 
  • Each Fellow, with the help of a mentor of their choosing, will design a huaka‘i and explore their kuleana in unfamiliar places, preferably in Hawai‘i.
  • The experience should reveal what impact looks like among communities who are also navigating towards a shared vision. In this way, Fellows can better align their intentions with their impact based on the experience of others.
• Executive Coaching 
  • Executive coaching will take place over four months during orientation. Coaching occurs during 60-minute, one-on-one calls and are confidential. Coaches will support Fellows in their preparation for curriculum launch.

The program welcomes applicants from the for-profit, nonprofit, and government sectors. Individuals will be selected based on their demonstration of courage, commitment, and impact as a leader; experience as a disrupter and catalyst for transformation; and the ability to articulate their kuleana for Hawai‘i upon which their leadership is being called.

“Some people will hear the kāhea (call)—be it from our ancestors, our kuleana, and this opportunity,” said Cheryl Kaʻuhane Lupenui, Omidyar Fellows Cohort 10 lead. “This experience allows those who hear it to best answer the call provisioned by community.”

In-person participation is mandatory for all sessions and activities. The Cohort X schedule is already available online since in-person participation is mandatory for all sessions and activities.

Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum covers all program costs for each participant, including airfare, ground transportation, and lodging for neighbor island Fellows. 

Interested applicants can review application materials and candidate criteria now on the Omidyar Fellows website. Early submission cutoff for applications is noon on Monday, June 23, and the final application deadline is noon on Monday, June 30.

New and recently updated impact projects created by Fellows can also be found online.