DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES CAN CHANGE WHAT WE SEE
LEARNING ACROSS PERSPECTIVES
HPF starts from a simple premise: multilayered, complex social and environmental challenges cannot be fully understood from a single perspective. We learn by bringing people together with different experiences, disciplines, cultures, and ways of knowing—including local and ancestral knowledge.
IDEAS CAN TRAVEL. SOLUTIONS RARELY TRAVEL UNCHANGED
We look beyond Hawaiʻi to learn from other communities—their successes, their mistakes, and the conditions that shaped their choices. We then ask what those lessons might mean here, adapting ideas to local realities rather than simply copying solutions.
LEARNING BECOMES ACTION
Learning matters when it leads to action. HPF brings people together not only to exchange ideas, but to explore what can be applied, adapted, or created in response to local needs. Through collaboration, learning becomes a starting point for meaningful change.
ABOUT MARTA FORERO WAYNE
Marta Forero Wayne, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Hawaiʻi Philanthropy Forum, brings more than three decades of experience across international development, philanthropy, research, evaluation, education, and community-based initiatives. She earned her Ph.D. in International Development, Cooperation, and Policy Analysis and her master’s degree in Policy Analysis, Organization, and Leadership from Stanford University, and her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia.
RESEARCH & EDUCATION
Her academic work draws on Albert Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and the importance of social capital, culture, and context. A Howard University fellowship deepened her approach to culturally grounded evaluation.
PHILANTHROPY & COMMUNITY
Her experience as a grantmaker, grantee, evaluator, researcher, program developer, and community participant brings multiple perspectives to philanthropy and locally grounded action.
LOCAL & GLOBAL LEARNING
Working across countries and cultures reinforced a guiding principle: learn widely, but adapt thoughtfully. Meaningful solutions must be shaped by local knowledge, history, culture, and realities.
Advisory
Ellen LaPointe
Ellen LaPointe is Managing Director at Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group (NPAG) and former President and CEO of Northern California Grantmakers. She previously served as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at HopeLab, founded by Pam Omidyar, and has held senior leadership roles across philanthropy, health, nonprofit organizations, and social justice.
Elliott Donnelley II
Elliott Donnelley II is a Founding General Partner of White Sand Investor Group and founder of KD Venture Partners. His work spans philanthropy, impact investing, and international collaboration. He serves on the advisory board of Stanford’s Long-Term Investment Initiative, was a key advisor to the China Global Philanthropy Institute, and helped launch the China Philanthropy Forum.
Cole Wilbur
Cole Wilbur is Trustee Emeritus and former President and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, which he led for 23 years. A longtime leader in philanthropy, he also served as Executive Director and CEO of the Sierra Club Foundation and as interim President and CEO of the Council on Foundations. His work has helped shape philanthropic practice and strengthen organizations in the United States and internationally.
A.R. Siders
A.R. Siders is an Associate Professor at the University of Delaware and Director of the Mangone Climate Change Science and Policy Hub. Her research focuses on climate adaptation, decision-making, managed retreat, and fairness. She is a lead author for the North America chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Seventh Assessment Report and holds a J.D. from Harvard and a Ph.D. from Stanford.
Daniel (Dan) Burger
Daniel (Dan) Burger is Program Director for Health and Resilience with the Gulf Research Program at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. His work connects climate adaptation, community health, disaster resilience, and collaborative planning. He is also a founder of the Charleston Resilience Network, bringing extensive experience in coastal resilience and translating science into community-based action.
SAMUEL (SAM) JOHN LEMMO
Samuel John Lemmo is the former Administrator of the Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands at the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources. During his 30 years of public service, he established the Coastal Lands Program and helped develop Hawaiʻi’s Coastal Erosion Management Plan, advancing statewide efforts to protect beaches and address coastal erosion and sea-level rise. He holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Sam believes we are here to make a difference.