The Omidyar Fellows program was launched today by the newly created Hawai’i Leadership Forum. Omidyar Fellows offers selected participants a rigorous, comprehensive leadership development curriculum designed to equip and inspire emerging leaders with the skills needed to affect positive, lasting change in Hawai’i.
The inaugural class will include up to 15 leaders with diverse backgrounds, selected from across the state. Interested candidates can apply for the Omidyar Fellows program through June 30, 2012, at  www.OmidyarFellows.org. The 2012 class will be announced in September, and the program will begin in October.
Omidyar Fellows is the first program of the Hawai’i Leadership Forum. The Forum was created to serve as a catalyst and convener for initiatives that improve leadership throughout the state.
“Hawai’i has a lot to offer the world, but we are often isolated from what the world has to offer us. The Omidyar Fellows program brings proven leadership practices to Hawai’i’s most promising individuals, with the goal of using that knowledge to benefit our community,” said Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman, eBay, and founder, Omidyar Fellows. “The problems we face here at home and around the world are great, and growing. In order to ensure a healthy, productive Hawai’i tomorrow, we must prepare and support the next generation of leaders today.”
The curriculum, in development for over a year, is customized for emerging leaders in Hawai’i and features a combination of actionable skills, networking with peers, self-reflection and personal growth opportunities.
“The Omidyar Fellows program is a unique opportunity for up-and-coming leaders to test and expand their abilities across many development areas — all of which are needed to benefit our communities,” said Kalei Stern, director of Omidyar Fellows. “Hawai’i is full of smart, talented people. The Omidyar Fellows program offers participants a world-class curriculum and aims to inspire them to think about how they might contribute to improving quality of life for the people of Hawai’i.”
Created by Bill Coy, director of leadership and learning for the Hawai’i Leadership Forum, the 15-month Omidyar Fellows program encompasses many areas of leadership development and uses the diverse perspectives of participants as part of the learning process.
“The Hawai’i Leadership Forum developed what we believe will be a powerful model for the Omidyar Fellows program. The approach is simple yet comprehensive, and relies heavily on learning through experience,” said Coy. “The three-phased approach focuses on the personal evolution of the individual, developing sustainable relationships, and refining collaboration and leadership skills. We believe these areas are essential for preparingemerging leaders with the next-generation competencies they will need to navigate a world that is only growing more complex.”
At the outset, Fellows will participate in a series of orientation activities and a multi-day kickoff event. Throughout the program, participants will be required to attend one full-day session each monthin addition toconversations with leaders and executive coaching.
Participants will finish the formal program prepared for a lifelong commitment to create positive change for Hawai’i. They will be equipped to apply the knowledge and network gained to not only help the next generation of leaders be individually more effective, but to collectively have an impact on Hawai’i’s future.