Leaders Lab

Since launching in 2024, Leaders Lab—a program of the Hawai‘i Leadership Forum—has evolved into a dynamic platform for leaders to strengthen their leadership capacity in response to today’s complex challenges. The three one-day immersive labs convene 15-20 participants to engage in collective learning, peer exchange, and personal growth to deepen their leadership practice in the values of kuleana, kūlana, ʻāina, and community.

In 2025, Leaders Lab began expanding to the neighbor islands with county-specific labs on Maui, Hawai‘i Island, and starting in 2026, Kaua‘i. This latest step honors the diverse strengths and needs of leaders throughout the islands and reflects the program’s commitment to cultivating place-based leadership.

In alignment with the program’s long-term vision, Leaders Lab continues to move toward the next component of its three-part leadership development journey. The five thematic Leaders Labs will convene for their third and final lab in 2026. Leaders Lab on Maui and Leaders Lab on Hawai‘i Island participants will experience their second and third labs in 2026. Leaders Lab on Kaua‘i will launch their first Lab in February 2026, with follow-on labs taking place later in 2026 and 2027. These continuation labs are designed to foster sustained connection, collective growth, and deeper alignment with community priorities over time.

First Lab
Context: Stepping Back to See the Whole

Leaders Lab invites participants to step outside of their day-to-day roles and organizational structures in order to reflect on the broader systems they are part of and to explore leadership questions within this context. This space away from their organizational roles allows them to cultivate new insights, explore different approaches, and return with clarity, ready to apply what they’ve learned in their own communities and organizations, which then become living laboratories for continued growth.

Second Lab
Peer-to-Peer Learning: Pilina as Foundation

At the heart of Leaders Lab is pilina (authentic relationship) and the belief that leadership is not learned alone. Participants come together from diverse backgrounds to share experiences, challenge assumptions, and learn from one another in ways that deepen insight and build mutual respect. These peer relationships strengthen leadership practice by fostering humility, reciprocity, and collective wisdom—hallmarks of effective leadership in Hawai‘i.

Third Lab
Connection through Curriculum: Rooted and Relevant

The Leaders Lab curriculum is intentionally designed to meet participants where they are while encouraging growth in areas tied to adaptive leadership and leading change. Topics build progressively and are delivered in ways that resonate within Hawai‘i’s cultural context. The learning journey integrates personal reflection, shared dialogue, and practical application to reinforce connection to self, community, and this place we call home.

Learning Goals

The learning goals include:

Build Authentic Confidence and
Leadership Capability
Develop increased self-awareness, resilience, and leadership competence, to take initiative, influence others, and lead effectively in diverse contexts.

Enhance Systems Thinking and
Adaptive Problem-Solving
Strengthen the capacity to identify root causes, navigate complexity, and make measurable progress on adaptive and systemic challenges.

Foster Strategic Collaboration
Across Boundaries
Deepen the ability to collaborate authentically and strategically across sectors, cultures, and communities to co-create shared solutions.

Redefine and Embody
Transformational Leadership
Explore and reshape traditional assumptions about leadership, and embracing a values-driven, inclusive, and service-oriented model that centers collective well-being.

Inspire Commitment to Purpose-Driven
Action in Hawai‘i
Cultivate a sustained desire and sense of responsibility to catalyze meaningful, place-based change that honors Hawai‘i’s people, culture, and ʻāina.

Neighbor Island Leaders Labs

Each Neighbor Island Leaders Lab is co-facilitated by a local leader—Marissa Sandblom on Kaua‘i, Kapā Oliveira on Maui, and Mahina Paishon on Hawai‘i Island—alongside Nicole Velasco, who supports all three sessions.

Leaders Lab on Kaua‘i

First lab: February 2026
Second and third lab: TBD

Hale Līhuʻe
4286 Rice Street
Līhuʻe, HI 96766

Leaders Lab on Maui

Second lab: May 2026
Third lab: November 2026

Kukahiko Estate
5034 Makena Road
Wailea, HI 96753

Leaders Lab on Hawai‘i Island

Second Lab: May 2026
Third Lab: December 2026

Anna Ranch Heritage Center
65-1480 Kawaihae Road
Kamuela, HI 96743

Neighbor Island Leaders Labs

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: September 5, 2025

When was the application deadline?

The Leaders Lab application deadline was 12:00 Noon HST on Friday, August 1, 2025.

When will applicants be notified about their candidacy?

Applicants were notified on Friday, September 5, 2025 with an update on the status of their candidacy.

What is the cost to participate in a Leaders Lab?

The Hawaiʻi Leadership Forum will cover the program costs for each participant.

What time does each Leaders Lab start and end?

Each Leaders Lab will begin at 8:30 am for check-in and breakfast. The formal program will start at 9:00 am and end by 4:30 pm.

Will Neighbor Island Leaders Lab participants be reimbursed for car travel?

HLF will provide mileage reimbursement for car travel when the one-way distance is 40 miles or more. Reimbursement will be calculated based on the current IRS mileage rate.

What is the participant capacity of each Leaders Lab?

Each Leaders Lab has 15-20 participants.

Who do I contact with questions?

Please email your questions to office@hawaiileadershipforum.org.