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Key people at Edmund Hillary Fellowship.
The Edmund Hillary Fellowship is an Auckland, New Zealand-based organization that operates a global community of innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors focused on developing solutions to various systemic global challenges. The fellowship facilitates a unique Global Impact Visa program designed to attract international talent to the country, currently supporting a network of 532 fellows from 58 countries, including 118 domestic New Zealand participants. Operating with an estimated workforce of 201 to 500 employees, the entity focuses its collaborative efforts on broad sectors such as climate change, social inequity, and business productivity. The organization's professional network includes notable fellows and leaders such as NZVC founder Mark Pavlyukovskyy, The Learner First founder Joanne McEachen, and current chief executive officer Rosalie Nelson. The Edmund Hillary Fellowship was officially founded in 2016 by Matthew Monahan, Brian Monahan, and Yoseph Ayele.
Key people at Edmund Hillary Fellowship.
The Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF) is a non-profit social enterprise and community of over 500 innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors committed to using Aotearoa New Zealand as a basecamp for global impact, focusing on solutions to challenges like climate change, social inequities, and economic growth.[1][2][4] Its mission is to partner with New Zealand to build these solutions, honoring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Sir Edmund Hillary's values, while accelerating the local innovation ecosystem through mentorship, connections, and support for starting and scaling ventures.[1][3][4] EHF's investment philosophy emphasizes high-impact sectors such as climate action, regenerative agriculture, Web3, Māori and Pasifika initiatives, and education, fostering system change rather than purely financial returns.[1][3] It has significantly influenced New Zealand's startup ecosystem by attracting global talent via the pioneering Global Impact Visa, incubating ventures, and enabling collaborations that drive local and planetary progress.[5][6]
EHF was founded in 2016 by Matthew Monahan, Yoseph Ayele, and Pā Shaquille Shortland, emerging from a partnership between the Hillary Institute for International Leadership and Kiwi Connect to implement the world's first impact-focused immigration policy.[3][6] The idea stemmed from attracting world-class talent to New Zealand to solve humanity's toughest problems, leveraging Sir Edmund Hillary's legacy of bold exploration.[1][4] Launched in January 2017, EHF kicked off with the Global Impact Visa pilot in collaboration with Immigration New Zealand, selecting 533 Fellows from 3,400 applicants over 3.5 years across two cohorts annually.[6] Pivotal moments include completing the 4-year visa pilot in 2021, shifting to Fellow activation amid a governance merger with the Hillary Institute, fulfilling a 7-year government contract in 2024, and establishing a Fellow-led board that year, marking its evolution from recruitment to community-led impact.[6]
EHF rides the wave of impact entrepreneurship and talent migration amid global challenges like climate crises and inequality, positioning New Zealand as an under-the-radar hub for regenerative innovation outside traditional Silicon Valley dominance.[1][5] Its timing capitalized on post-2016 immigration innovation, with the Global Impact Visa drawing capital and ideas during a period of rising demand for purpose-driven tech, now evolving into a mature ecosystem activator as remote work and visa flexibilities normalize.[6] Market forces favoring EHF include New Zealand's stable environment, indigenous-led principles via Te Tiriti, and sectors like Web3 and renewables aligning with planetary-scale needs.[1][3] It influences the ecosystem by democratizing tech access, boosting Kiwi startups through global networks, and inspiring policy like impact visas worldwide, amplifying underrepresented voices in governance and climate action.[3][4][6]
EHF's next chapter hinges on its Fellow-led governance, scaling self-organized communities to catalyze ventures in emerging trends like AI-driven climate solutions, indigenous tech sovereignty, and decentralized economies.[1][6] Rising geopolitical tensions and sustainability mandates will propel demand for neutral basecamps like New Zealand, shaping EHF's growth through deeper Māori-Pasifika integrations and cross-sector alliances.[3] Its influence may evolve from visa pioneer to global impact orchestrator, potentially expanding hybrid programs or advisory roles for governments, solidifying Aotearoa's role in inspiring future leadership.[4][6] This community-driven model positions EHF to unlock even greater planetary change, true to its founding vision of bold, collective exploration.[1]
