Omidyar Fellows

What Omidyar Fellows does

Omidyar Fellows is a Hawai'i-based non-profit leadership development program operated under the Hawai'i Leadership Forum, a 501(c)(3)-style entity that is itself part of the philanthropic network founded by Pierre and Pam Omidyar. Launched in May 2012, the program recruits accomplished leaders from for-profit, nonprofit, and government sectors through a competitive application process and runs them through an 18-month curriculum plus practicum that combines monthly full-day sessions, executive coaching, community conversations, and an immersive Huaka'i (land-based journey). All participant costs are fully covered; the program is funded by a philanthropic grant from the Omidyar 'Ohana Fund at the Hawai'i Community Foundation. Across 10 cohorts from 2012 through 2025-2026, the program has produced 115+ Fellows who join an ongoing Forum of Fellows alumni network.

The core product is the Omidyar Fellows Program itself, anchored by a curriculum rooted in ʻIke Hawaiʻi and ʻāina-based leadership principles. Supporting products include the Forum of Fellows (post-curriculum alumni engagement), Leaders Lab (a more accessible place-based leadership development sub-program launched in 2024 with island-specific variants on Hawai'i Island, Maui, Kaua'i, and an Educators vertical), the bimonthly Taking on Tomorrow e-newsletter, the weekly Bread for the Journey reflection series, and the annual Waves of Change impact report. The organization is intentionally small — 8 staff members operating from Honolulu — and does not charge tuition or fees to participants.

The business model is philanthropic grant-funded rather than commercial: revenue arrives as a programmatic grant, no fees are charged to Fellows, and the organization does not sell services to external customers. Distribution is application-based and geographically constrained to Hawai'i, with no global expansion claim. Marketing is conducted through the program's website, an email newsletter, Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and earned media coverage of Fellows. The entity is governed by a board including Pam Omidyar, Marisa Castuera Hayase, James Koshiba, and Sunshine Topping, with AJ Halagao serving as President of the Hawai'i Leadership Forum since October 2023.

Name

Omidyar Fellows

Legal name

Omidyar Fellows

Website

https://omidyarfellows.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Omidyar Fellows is a Hawaii-based non-profit leadership development program operated under the Hawaii Leadership Forum, running an 18-month cross-sector curriculum with philanthropic funding and having produced 115+ Fellows across 10 cohorts since 2012.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

Keywords

• Leadership development
• Executive education
• Nonprofit programs
• Community leadership
• Professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Funding: The program receives funding from The Omidyar Group and the Omidyar 'Ohana Fund at the Hawai'i Community Foundation. The program covers all costs for each participant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Omidyar Fellows is an 18-month leadership development curriculum and practicum designed to cultivate cross-sector leaders committed to strengthening Hawai'i. The program combines ʻāina (land)-based immersion, executive coaching, and monthly full-day sessions with community, business, and government leaders. All program costs are covered for selected Fellows, with ongoing engagement through the Forum of Fellows alumni network.

Product overview

Omidyar Fellows is a comprehensive leadership development ecosystem operated by the Hawai'i Leadership Forum. The core offering is the 18-month Omidyar Fellows Program curriculum with practicum, supplemented by the ongoing Forum of Fellows alumni network. HLF also offers the Leaders Lab initiative as a more accessible entry point to leadership development. The program provides bimonthly Taking on Tomorrow newsletters and weekly Bread for the Journey reflections as communication channels. Annual impact reports document program outcomes. All offerings are designed to cultivate cross-sector leaders committed to building a more resilient and thriving Hawai'i through immersive leadership experiences rooted in Hawaiian culture and ʻāina.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leaders Lab: A more accessible way for individuals to engage in leadership development as an avenue for societal change, launched in 2024.

Products and services

• Omidyar Fellows Program An 18-month leadership development curriculum and practicum designed to cultivate cross-sector leaders committed to strengthening Hawai'i. Includes immersive sessions with ʻāina (land), executive coaching, and conversations with community, business, and government leaders. All program costs are covered for selected participants.
• Forum of Fellows An ongoing network of Omidyar Fellows alumni from completed cohorts who remain actively engaged in collaborative efforts to address Hawai'i's pressing issues. Graduates join previous cohorts in this active network of transformative leaders working across sectors.
• Leaders Lab A place-based, values-driven leadership development initiative offering a more accessible entry point to the Hawai'i Leadership Forum's leadership programs. Includes thematic lab groups such as Leaders Lab for Educators, Leaders Lab on Hawai'i Island, Leaders Lab on Maui, and Leaders Lab on Kaua'i.

Quantifiable outcome

• 115+ Fellows across 10 cohorts making impact across Hawai'i
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hawai'i Leadership ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Hawai'i Leadership Forum (HLF) is the parent organization that houses the Omidyar Fellows program. HLF is dedicated to developing, engaging, and inspiring leaders to drive impact and catalyze positive change in Hawai'i.
• The Leader ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Cheryl Ka'uhane Lupenui (Cohort X Lead) as a place for learning about shared leadership from Hawai'i for Hawai'i. Cheryl serves as consultant and lead for Omidyar Fellows Cohort X.
• The Kohala CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCheryl Ka'uhane Lupenui serves as president and CEO of The Kohala Center, an 'āina-based non-profit working across conservation, education, agriculture, and leadership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Echoing Green: Echoing Green runs a multi-year leadership fellowship for social-impact leaders, closely matching Omidyar Fellows' model of selecting high-potential leaders, providing them with development programming, and embedding them in an influential alumni network.
• Ashoka: Ashoka's fellowship program identifies and supports leading social entrepreneurs worldwide. It is directly comparable to Omidyar Fellows as a selective, cohort-based leadership identification and development program with a long-running alumni ecosystem.
• Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship: Pahara-Aspen is a selective fellowship for senior education-sector leaders. It is comparable as a cohort-based, fully-sponsored leadership fellowship with an ongoing alumni community, though focused specifically on education rather than cross-sector.
• National Urban Fellows: National Urban Fellows runs a long-standing leadership development fellowship aimed at diversifying leadership across sectors. Its cohort-based fellowship model with an alumni network is directly comparable to Omidyar Fellows.
• Coro Foundation: Coro provides experiential civic leadership training with cohort-based programs. Its focus on cross-sector civic leadership development is structurally similar to Omidyar Fellows' mission of preparing leaders to tackle complex community challenges.
• Presidential Leadership Scholars: Presidential Leadership Scholars is a cross-sector leadership development program bringing together leaders from business, government, nonprofits, and the military. Its cross-sector cohort design mirrors the core premise of Omidyar Fellows.
• Pacific Century Fellows: Pacific Century Fellows is a Hawaiʻi-based leadership development program also producing cohorts of cross-sector leaders. It is highly comparable in mission and geographic focus, representing the closest regional peer to Omidyar Fellows.

Broad incumbents

• The Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute runs multiple leadership fellowship programs (e.g., Henry Crown Fellowship, Pahara-Aspen) targeting established leaders across sectors. It is a broader incumbent in the leadership development space with overlapping but more diversified programming.

Others

• The Kohala Center: The Kohala Center is an ʻāina-based Hawaiʻi nonprofit working in leadership, education, conservation, and agriculture. Its CEO leads Cohort X for Omidyar Fellows, making it a closely adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Hawaiʻi Community Foundation: Hawaiʻi Community Foundation houses the Omidyar ʻOhana Fund that funds the Fellows program. It is an adjacent enabling institution — a key funding partner and steward of philanthropic capital directed at Hawaiʻi's leadership ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OmidyarFellowsHI
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/omidyar-fellows-hawaii

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Omidyar Fellows