Heed the Call
A cohort of 13-16 individuals with diverse professional experiences and backgrounds will be selected from across the state.
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 commit significant time and effort to contributing to the Forum of Fellows, consisting of all Omidyar Fellows, after the completion of the curriculum. 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:
- Strong self-awareness and orientation to self-development (participation in prior leadership development program desired)
- Demonstrated, as a leader, courage, commitment, and impact
- Experience as a disrupter and transformative catalyst
- Addressed complex problems within an organization or community
- 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
- Committed to collaborating with others towards a shared vision for our island home
- The ability to articulate a purpose and/or kuleana (to past, present, and future generations) for Hawai‘i for which their leadership is being called upon
- A commitment to practices designed for cultural deepening (including Hawaiian and other indigenous cultures)
- Garnered the full support of their current employer
- Garnered the full support of their community and other key relationships moving towards a collective horizon
- Committed to participate in all sessions and activities in person
Who is the ideal candidate for Cohort X?
The best candidates are those who will lead here in Hawaiʻi and understand that leadership is a 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 and outside of formal roles. Applicants must be able to articulate a purpose and/or kuleana (to past, present, and future generations) for Hawai‘i for which their leadership is being called upon and how the Omidyar Fellows program might be a key element to their learning.
We seek strategists, leaders, and collaborators who are part of 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.