Heed the Call
A cohort of up to 15 individuals with diverse professional experiences and backgrounds will be selected from across the state.
We’re seeking a diverse range of individuals who are willing to commit significant time and effort to improve their futures and the future of Hawaiʻi.
Candidates should be ready to engage in an executive-level curriculum, have at least ten years of professional experience leading and engaging others, and be able to contribute to the learning process with their own perspectives. They must be able to demonstrate how their achievements hold the promise of extraordinary leadership for Hawaiʻi in the decades ahead.
Candidates should be willing and able to make a full commitment to the Forum of Fellows, a collective of Hawaiʻi-based leaders committed to working together towards a shared vision for our island home. They must be willing to serve the mission of the Forum: to strengthen the well-being of Hawaiʻi—its people, communities, and natural ecosystems—through the practice of unified servant leadership and the recognition of our individual and collective kuleana to generations past, present, and future.
Individually, an Omidyar Fellow is someone who has:
- Demonstrated, as a leader, courage, commitment, passion, and impact
- Addressed complex problems within an organization or community
- Developed a working style that incorporates problem solving, original thinking, collaboration, and innovation
- Earned leadership responsibilities beyond their years of employment based on a track record of accelerated achievement
- Demonstrated engagement in the community beyond professional responsibilities
- Arrived at an understanding of Hawaiʻi’s cultural, social, and political contexts
- Garnered the full support of their current employer
Who is the ideal candidate for Cohort IX?
The best candidates are those who will lead here in Hawaiʻi and understand that leadership is a very courageous undertaking. We seek professionals who have been entrepreneurial in their career and have had the experience and drive to be disrupters and transformative catalysts within organizational leadership and outside of formal roles. Successful applicants must be able to articulate their own motivations and vision for the future of Hawaiʻi.
We seek strategists, leaders, and collaborators who represent organizations and communities that are considered significant in Hawai‘i by size, profile, example, or potential for replication. They will be leaders who will contribute in a significant way to the profile, impact, and goals of the Forum of Fellows.
Important Notes:
For cohort diversity, if we receive more than one candidate application from the same organization, only one candidate may be selected as a finalist.
Given the demands of the program, the unique nature of political leadership, and the requirements of the legislative calendar, elected officials are not eligible for participation in the Omidyar Fellows program. We encourage elected officials to apply for the new HLF Leaders Lab for Public Officials and Government Leaders.