Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum begins new cohort of Omidyar Fellows with two from Big Island

Fourteen local leaders have joined Cohort X of the Omidyar Fellows program through the Hawai‘i Leadership Forum.

They include two Hawai‘i Island residents: No‘eau Peralto, executive director of Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili, and Rebecca Soon, COO of Solutions Pacific and president of Ward Research.

The Omidyar Fellows program empowers participants to lead with purpose, mobilize communities and amplify positive change across Hawaiʻi.

It stresses leadership immersion with ʻāina (land) in addition to strong relationships and networks.

“We’re thrilled to welcome these leaders at such a pivotal moment for Hawai‘i,” said AJ Halagao, president of the Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum. “This 10th 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 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 (responsibility) 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.

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