PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Launched in 2018, the Obama Foundation Leaders program is a six-month, virtual leadership development journey that seeks to inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders to accelerate positive and lasting change in their communities, in their regions, and across the world. The Foundation operates Leaders programs in three regions internationally: Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.
To date, the program has built a network of more than 700 leaders, hailing from more than 100 nations and territories around the world. These leaders work across various sectors and issue areas and are brought together by a commitment to values-based leadership rooted in the legacy of President and Mrs. Obama.
The program will bring together 35 emerging leaders from across each region. Participants (known as “Obama Leaders” or “Leaders”) will take part in weekly sessions that include:
- Practical tools and training for deepening values-based leadership
- Individualized or small group coaching
- Community groups
- Conversations with thought leaders
- Cultural programming that showcases the richness of diversity in the region
- Curated spaces for deep personal reflection and interpersonal learning with peers
Each regional program will meet virtually over Zoom an average of four times per month, engaging with trainers, subject matter experts, and their peers to deepen their leadership practice. Each session will last approximately two hours. Additionally, each regional program will aim to host an in-person convening—public health, safety, and security conditions permitting—as a forum for deeper community-building, learning, and celebration.
Upon completion of the program, Obama Leaders will become part of the Obama Foundation’s global leadership network—a growing community of changemakers who are advancing tangible solutions to the greatest challenges of our time.
2023 COHORT SELECTION
We are looking to invite the next cohort of 35 participants per region into Leaders programs. We’re excited that you plan to apply! Before you get started, please review the guidelines below. Should you have additional questions, you can refer to our FAQ page.
We anticipate that this application will take a minimum of one hour to complete, depending on your pace. Please plan accordingly and leave yourself plenty of time.
Timely Submissions: We strongly recommend that you submit your application as early as possible. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. The Obama Foundation is not responsible for applications that are not properly submitted by the deadline. All candidates will be informed of their status via email by January 20, 2023.
Selection Process: The 2023 Leaders selection process will take place from October through December 2022. Finalists may be invited for virtual interviews in late November or early December 2022. Those who are not selected for interviews will be notified and will remain eligible for future Obama Foundation opportunities.
Résumé & References: Before you begin, please be sure to have a current English résumé ready to upload. We recommend that your résumé follow these guidelines:
- No pictures
- No information about family/marital status
- Maximum of 2 pages
- Black font color and a white background
You will also be asked to submit the name and contact information of two personal or professional references. We may reach out to your references if you advance in the selection process. Please do not ask your references to write letters of recommendation or to reach out to the Obama Foundation. We neither require nor accept letters of recommendation.
Technical Requirements and Accessibility: The 2023 Leaders program will be virtual. You will need access to a computer with a camera and a reliable internet connection to fully participate in the program. We are able to accommodate certain technical accessibility needs throughout the length of the program. More information will be provided to finalists once invited to become Leaders.
Commitment to Diversity: At the Obama Foundation, we value one another’s contributions and hold the conviction that diverse backgrounds and divergent points of view will lead us to the best solutions. We welcome Leaders across lines of race, ethnicity, spiritual beliefs, socioeconomic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, political affiliation, and ability.
We are committed to recruiting an inclusive and diverse cohort with Leaders from different nationalities, issues of focus, sectors of work, personal backgrounds, and life experiences. We especially hope to identify emerging leaders who have not had the opportunity to participate in similar leadership programs in the past or who come from historically marginalized groups. We aim to build a mixed-experience cohort in which about half of participants have not yet benefited from other major leadership programs, while others bring leadership development experience and connections that they can share with the cohort.
We are also committed to making this program accessible to leaders with disabilities, from the application process to the program experience. We are able to accommodate certain technical accessibility needs throughout the length of the program. More information will be provided to finalists once invited to become Leaders; in the meantime, please contact us at globalleaders@obama.org with any questions about accommodations that may help you determine whether or not to apply.
HOW TO APPLY
After reading the criteria below, create an account and login. At the end of the application, be sure to click on EACH submit button on successive screens!
A PDF of the application guidelines and questions is available to download at the bottom of this page.
Based in Region: You currently reside in one of the following eligible nations or territories in the region in which you are applying:
- Africa: All nations, countries, and territories on the African continent.
- Asia-Pacific: American Samoa; Australia; Brunei; Cambodia; China; Cook Islands; Federated States of Micronesia; Fiji; French Polynesia; Guam; Hawai`i; Hong Kong; Indonesia; Japan; Kiribati; Korea, North (DPRK); Korea, South (ROK); Laos; Malaysia; Marshall Islands; Mongolia; Myanmar; Nauru; New Caledonia; Macao; New Zealand; Niue; Northern Mariana Islands; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Pitcairn Islands; Samoa; Singapore; Solomon Islands; Taiwan; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Tokelau; Tonga; Tuvalu; Vanuatu; Vietnam; Wallis and Futuna
Please note that residents of South Asian countries are not eligible for this particular program. The Obama Foundation expects to offer leadership programs for South Asian countries in the future.
- Europe: Any of the 46 Council of Europe member states and Kosovo.
Citizenship/Residency: You must meet one of the criteria below for the region in which you are applying:
- You are a citizen of an eligible nation or territory OR
- You are a permanent resident of an eligible nation or territory OR
- You are a refugee or asylum seeker in an eligible nation or territory OR
- You have lived in an eligible nation or territory for at least the last 5 years, regardless of documentation status.
Deadline: Friday, 21 October 2022 at 12:00 PM US Eastern Time (GMT-5)
The 2023 Obama Foundation Leaders programs will take place between
February 1 and July 15, 2023.
