‘Ōiwi Leadership Accelerator Now Accepting Applications for Second Cohort

Calls for applications to the second cohort of a new leadership development program called the ʻŌiwi Leadership Accelerator are now open through December 22. Graduating its first group of twenty participants in November, the program spans six months and combines Native Hawaiian cultural values with Western skills to help Hawai‘i professionals achieve their leadership goals.

Launched by People Strategies Hawai‘i in partnership with Kamehameha Schools and Hawaiʻi Employers Council, the program aims to stem the tide of Hawai’i-raised professionals leaving for better opportunities to advance their careers. Monthly place-based sessions help participants build competency in systems thinking, emotional resilience, conflict resolution, and other areas. Participants receive one-on-one executive coaching and network with kama‘āina executives.

“Exploring my role in Hawaiʻi as a leader and Indigenous person was critical to my development this year,” said Piʻikea Kalakau-Baarde, Director of Regional Initiatives at Teach for America and former Dean of Faculty for the PUEO Program at Punahou School. “Putting leadership in this context is essential to being successful in Hawaiʻi, where leadership can be found in ways that are different from other places.”

Applicants are welcome from all sectors and industries, including entrepreneurs, social service organizations, education, health, and for-profit companies.

Dr. Diane Paloma, CEO of Hawaiʻi Dental Service, says of the program: “I have seen a solid foundation built upon the strengths of our culture and values that are universal in the workplace.”

Graduates experienced an 80% average increase in clarity of their leadership identity and goals.

“I experienced a profound transformation,” said Raquel Aki, Corporate Secretary of the East-West Center Board of Governors. “It boosted my confidence by providing a supportive environment where I could be vulnerable. I feel equipped to be a more effective changemaker, which gives me hope for the future I leave for my keiki.”