Categorized | Business

Hawaii Leadership Forum launches Omidyar Fellows

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The Omidyar Fellows program was launched Monday by the newly created Hawaii 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 Hawaii.

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 Hawaii Leadership Forum. The Forum was created to serve as a catalyst and convener for initiatives that improve leadership throughout the state.

“Hawaii 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 Hawaii’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 Hawaii tomorrow, we must prepare and support the next generation of leaders today,” he said.

The curriculum, in development for over a year, is customized for emerging leaders in Hawaii 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. “Hawaii 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 Hawaii.”

Created by Bill Coy, director of leadership and learning for the Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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,” Coy said.

“The three-phased approach focuses on the personal evolution of the individual, developing sustainable relationships, and refining collaboration and leadership skills,” he said. “We believe these areas are essential for preparing emerging 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 month in addition to conversations with leaders and executive coaching.

Participants will finish the formal program prepared for a lifelong commitment to create positive change for Hawaii. 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 Hawaii’s future.

Omidyar Fellows is the first initiative of the Hawaii Leadership Forum. Omidyar Fellows is a rigorous leadership development program designed to equip selected participants from across the state with the skills they need to forge Hawaii’s future.

The Hawaii Leadership Forum is a newly created organization designed to catalyze efforts that support Hawaii’s emerging leaders. The Forum receives funding from the Omidyar Ohana Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation.

Best known as the founder and chairman of eBay, Pierre is an active philanthropist guided by his belief that people are inherently capable and basically good. Pierre has committed more than $1 billion to create opportunities that help individuals improve their lives and ignite change across a variety of sectors and geographies.

In 2011, Pierre and his wife Pam received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in recognition of the lasting impact of their work and generosity.

In 2009, Pierre and Pam made an historic $50 million commitment to the Hawaii Community Foundation to establish the Omidyar Ohana Fund, which is being used to launch several community initiatives.

Pierre is also the CEO and publisher of CivilBeat.com, a Honolulu-based news service dedicated to public affairs and investigative journalism.

— Find out more:
www.OmidyarFellows.org
www.omidyargroup.com

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