UH Hilo’s Nalu O’Connor chosen as Obama Foundation Asia-Pacific Leader
Nalu O’Connor, program leader at UH Hilo’s Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science, was chosen to join cohort of emerging leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the common good.
By Susan Enright/UH Hilo Stories.
A member of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo ʻohana has been chosen as an Asian-Pacific Leader by The Obama Foundation, former President Barack Obama announced.
Nalu Kevin O’Connor, program leader at the Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Science (PIPES), was selected among thousands of applicants to participate in the new class of 205 emerging changemakers from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States as part of The Obama Foundation Leaders program. The program is for emerging leaders working in government, civil society, and the private sector who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the common good.
“Being a part of this collective of change makers has allowed me to connect with like minded individuals leading organizations across the Pacific and into Asia to further our aloha ʻāina efforts here in Hawaiʻi,” says O’Connor on LinkedIn.
O’Connor hails from Kalihi, Oʻahu, and came to Hawaiʻi Island in 2019. Prior to joining PIPES in 2022, he was an internship coordinator at UH Hilo’s Keaholoa STEM Scholars program for two years.
- From Kalihi to the Obama Foundation (Kūkala Nūhou, Oct. 10, 2024)
In his work at UH Hilo, O’Connor coordinates with conservation and other organizations at the federal, state, and local levels to provide internships for UH Hilo students. At PIPES, he has instituted the Moʻo ʻĀina Framework, a placed-based way for interns to follow the values and relationships of Hawaiʻi: Naʻau (ancestral), ʻĀina (ecological), Kaiāulu (community), and Kaʻao (research).
The Obama Foundation notes:
Nalu OʻConnor is the program leader of the Pacific Internship Programs for Exploring Sciences (PIPES) program at the University of Hawaiʻi-Hilo. PIPES nurtures future aloha ʻāina leaders in Hawaiʻi through place-based internships, mentorship, and strategic partnerships. Nalu equips young leaders to embrace leadership as a marathon, not a sprint, through a capacity-building framework that follows four values and relationships of Hawaiʻi: Naʻau, ʻĀina, Kaiāulu, and Kaʻao. Nalu is committed to exploring the ideas of reconnecting people, place, and practice with the ultimate goal of ʻāina momona, or abundant ecosystems and thriving communities.
The 2024-2025 Obama Foundation Leaders cohort
This year’s overall leaders cohort includes 34 from Africa, 35 from the Asia-Pacific region, 36 from Europe, and 100 from the United States. They come from 70 different nations and territories, and represent public, private, and civil organizations tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues. The Asia-Pacific leaders were chosen for their work in topics ranging from amplifying Indigenous youth voices to improving access to education, each working to solve complex issues in their communities.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Leaders we’ve worked with over the years, and excited to welcome this new class,” says former President Barack Obama in a media release. “Together, they bring different perspectives, ideas, and experiences to the table, and our hope is that they’ll be able to learn from each other and develop a deep network of support.”
According to the foundation’s website, the Obama Foundation Leaders program is inspired by President Obama’s leadership approach, engaging participants in the challenges, opportunities, and skills of making positive change. Supported by full group sessions, small group discussions, and individualized leadership coaching, participants define a values-based foundation for sustained leadership, cultivate relationships with others to catalyze more inclusive, lasting change, and prepare to engage with issues at the systems level.
The Obama Foundation’s leaders program was first launched in Africa in 2018, followed by expansion to the Asia-Pacific region in 2019, and then to Europe in 2020. The Leaders USA program began in 2023. This is the first year that all four leaders programs will run concurrently, allowing for more opportunities for cross-regional collaboration.
Upon completion of the program, members of the cohort will continue to gain a broader continental and global perspective, joining the Obama Leadership Network, a growing global alumni community of over 1,000 active changemakers.
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Story by Susan Enright, a public information specialist for the Office of the Chancellor and editor of UH Hilo Stories. She received her bachelor of arts in English and certificate in women’s studies from UH Hilo.
