Empowering the Next Generation 
of Leaders

Applications for the 2026 Lopez Fellowship will open on March 24 and close on April 13.

EIGHT FELLOWS. FIVE MONTHS. NO COST.

Most programs teach you how to think. The Lopez Fellowship changes how you operate.

Now in its sixth year, the Lopez Fellowship selects eight professionals each year for a dedicated five-month program designed to do something most careers never offer: a structured pause to develop the skills, clarity, and relationships that separate good professionals from exceptional leaders.

Created by Hernan Lopez (founder of Wondery, Owl & Co) and underwritten entirely by the Hernan Lopez Family Foundation, the Fellowship is free: the only thing we ask is for your time and commitment.

WHO GETS SELECTED?

We look for professionals who have already proven something, and know there's a gap between where they are and where they're capable of going.

Fellows come from tech, media, entertainment, healthcare, education, finance and other industries. Some are rising leaders inside established organizations. Others are founders who have cleared the funding hurdle and are ready to build something durable. All of them have overcome real obstacles, bring genuine intellectual curiosity to their work, and can commit 3 to 4 hours per week for five months.

Eight are selected each year. The process is intentionally rigorous.

WHAT YOU JOIN

Completing the Lopez Fellowship means joining a network of nearly 40 professionals across tech, media, entertainment, healthcare, education, and finance — people who went through the same program, built real relationships, and continue to invest in each other's growth.

WHAT THE PROGRAM COVERS

The Fellowship runs May through September. Sessions are conducted online, with regional gatherings in New York and on the West Coast earlier in the program and a final meeting in Los Angeles. Fellows cover their own travel and lodging for in-person gatherings. The program is designed to run alongside your full-time work; expect to commit 3 to 4 focused hours per week.

It is built around five areas:

Executive coaching. Each fellow works directly with Cindy Shove in a personalized coaching engagement: sessions structured around your specific career, not a generic curriculum.

Mentorship and strategy. Group and 1:1 sessions with Hernan Lopez, tech founders, and senior industry leaders. Past speakers have included executives from the largest media companies and premier executive search firms. Additional speakers for 2026 to be announced.

Public speaking and communication. John Koch, one of the most sought-after coaches in the B2B space, works with each fellow on the kind of high-stakes communication that most professionals only learn through painful trial and error.

Career architecture. Todd Gitlin, Founder and CEO of Safire Partners, runs one of the sought-after executive search firms. His module reframes how you think about career capital, compensation, and the options most professionals don't know they have.

Enterprise-level AI proficiency. In partnership with Section AI, fellows learn how to deploy AI effectively in businesses environments and their own careers. Throughout the program, fellows also work through a curated reading list selected by Hernan Lopez, books and essays that have shaped how he and others in the network think about leadership, money, and building a career worth having.

WHO CAN APPLY

Applicants must currently live and work in the U.S., hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and have at least 7 years of professional experience that includes at least one promotion, one move to a role of greater responsibility, or founding a company that is at least one year old and has received outside funding. As part of the application, candidates complete a brief AI proficiency assessment. Applications open March 24 and close April 13. If you are considering applying, identify now a current or former colleague or manager who can write a letter of recommendation on your behalf.