Lahaina nonprofit leader joins latest Omidyar Fellows cohort

Fourteen individuals have been selected for Cohort X of the Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum’s Omidyar Fellows program, a leadership initiative that stresses connection to ʻāina and people, and helps its participants lead with purpose, mobilize communities and amplify positive change across Hawai‘i.

Among this year’s fellows is Autumn Ness, representing Maui and bringing her expertise in community development and land stewardship to the statewide leadership network.

Before becoming executive director of the Lahaina Community Land Trust, Ness served as housing policy advisor for two Maui County Council members, including the chair of the Affordable Housing Committee, where they established a homeowner selection process prioritizing long-time residents and lowered the cost of affordable housing through policy and infrastructure funding. Ness continues to serve as a board member for Maui Nui Resiliency Hui, and is the current board president of Maui Hub, a farm-to-consumer food hub she helped launch during COVID-19.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these leaders at such a pivotal moment for Hawai‘i,” said AJ Halagao, president of Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum. “This tenth cohort embodies the vision of Omidyar Fellows: developing leaders who engage collaboratively and act boldly to create lasting, positive impact.”

Cohort X launches in October 2025 with an enhanced curriculum that guides fellows through an 18-month journey. The first 14 months include orientation, five monthly sessions, three retreats (launch, midpoint, and capstone) and talk story sessions with community, business and government leaders.

New this year is the Immersive Huaka‘i, where each fellow will design a personal learning experience, connecting to communities and ʻāina to better align intentions with impact. Following the curriculum, fellows will co-create a practicum in early 2027 as they transition into the Forum of Fellows, an active network of 131 leaders committed to driving meaningful, long-term change in Hawai‘i.

Throughout the program, fellows will strengthen leadership in three interconnected areas: kumu ʻāina—the base of relationships from which kuleana arises and leadership is needed in Hawaiʻi; applied learning to expand knowledge and skills through shared experiences; and navigation to provision leaders with diverse tools to adapt and thrive in varied conditions.

“These leaders have answered the kāhea (call) for their community,” said Cheryl Kaʻuhane Lupenui, Omidyar Fellows Cohort X lead. “Their immersive journey now unfolds as they join together learning important practices that will guide their leadership for a thriving Hawai‘i.”

This year’s fellows represent a wide range of sectors, including for-profit, nonprofit, education and government, selected through a rigorous application process. Each was chosen for 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.

Cohort X Fellows include:

• Kimo Carvalho (O‘ahu), CEO, HomeAid Hawai‘i
• Noe Goodyear-Ka‘ōpua (O‘ahu), Professor, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa; Trustee, Kamehameha Schools
• Michelle Jaime (O‘ahu), President, The Vanguard Theory
• Ryan Kanaka‘ole (O‘ahu), First Deputy, State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources
• Ku‘ulani Keohokalole (O‘ahu), CEO, People Strategies Hawai‘i 
• Olin Lagon (O‘ahu), Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Shifted Energy
• Kelly Miyamura (O‘ahu), Senior Program Officer, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
• Autumn Ness (Maui), Executive Director, Lahaina Community Land Trust
• No‘eau Peralto (Hawai‘i Island), Executive Director, Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili (huiMAU)
• Kaipo Perez III (O‘ahu),Senior Advisor for DoD Land Use and Strategic Engagement, ANSER (DoD Contractor) / Hawai‘i Coordination Cell, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment
• Liza Ryan Gill (O‘ahu), Refounder and Executive Director, Hawai‘i Coalition for Immigrant Rights
• Rebecca Soon (Hawai‘i Island),COO, Solutions Pacific; President, Ward Research
• Babā Yim (O‘ahu), Po‘okumu (Principal), Ke Kula Kaiapuni ʻO Ānuenue (Hawai‘i State Department of Education)
• Terence Young (O‘ahu), EVP of O‘ahu Operations and CEO of Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center, and Straub Benioff Medical Center,
  Hawai‘i Pacific Health

To read the full bios of Cohort X and learn more about the program, visit www.omidyarfellows.org/fellows.