Applications for Omidyar Fellows Cohort X open June 2

The Hawai‘i Leadership Forum (HLF) will open applications for the tenth cohort of its Omidyar Fellows program on Monday, June 2, 2025. The program is an enduring commitment that stresses leadership immersion with ʻāina in addition to strong relationships and networks, allowing Fellows to lead with purpose, mobilize communities, and amplify positive change across Hawai‘i.

Interested applicants can review application materials and candidate criteria now at www.omidyarfellows.org/apply. Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, June 2. Early submission cutoff is 12 p.m. HST on Monday, June 23, and final application deadline is 12 p.m. HST on Monday, June 30.

“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 Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum. “We’re calling those ready to rise to this moment and help shape an even better Hawai‘i.”

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 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 X lead. “This experience allows those who hear it to best answer the call provisioned by community.”

Cohort X will begin its 18-month leadership program in October 2025, which includes orientation, monthly sessions, overnight retreats, and talk story sessions with community, business, and government leaders. New for Cohort X is the Immersive Huaka‘i, where each Fellow will design an experience that will help 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.

For those interested in applying, HLF will host a one-hour, online informational session on Monday, June 2 at 12 p.m.

To register for the session and for more information, visit www.omidyarfellows.org/apply.