ABOUT MOUNTAINTOP INTERNATIONAL
Activating transformational leadership worldwide
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VISION
A world where every community has the inner capacity, or “human infrastructure,” to lead its own development and flourish so that all people can experience physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.
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Sumarni Laman, 2024 Mountaintop Fellow
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MISSION
Mountaintop International is a nonprofit that builds the inner capacity, or “human infrastructure,” of leaders worldwide in order for their communities to flourish. Mountaintop’s initiatives help individual leaders, NGOs, governments, and other institutions to develop talent and deepen systems change.
In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose "Mountaintop" speech called for a locally led movement to stir our global consciousness, we are proud champions of a global revolution that puts people first so that every community can lead its own future.
Dede Alexson Barpeen, 2024 Mountaintop Fellow
WHAT WE DO
Mountaintop International offers a paid, one-year, full-time fellowship for exceptional local leaders driving systems change in lower-income communities worldwide. Our Fellows receive:
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A full-time stipend
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A two-week Leadership Institute at Harvard
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1:1 mentorship and tailored support
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Access to grant funding
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A lifelong global peer community
The Fellowship helps leaders stay in—or return to—their communities and lead lasting, locally rooted change.
In 2025, Mountaintop's fellowship has three tracks: Standard Fellowship, Anglican Fellowship, and Executive Fellowship.
Beyond the fellowship, Mountaintop also partners with high impact organizations to create custom talent management solutions, and runs an impact fund to invest in locally led organizations building human infrastructure in low income countries.
2024 Mountaintop Leadership Institute Outdoor Retreat
OUR VALUES
A key part of addressing global challenges lies in strengthening our collective morality. Mountaintop strives to promote our values by embodying them in everything we do.
Universal Compassion: Empathizing with the suffering of others, regardless of who they are.
Example: Thich Nhat Hanh.
Unconditional Love: Loving others unconditionally, even those we deeply disagree with.
Example: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Visionary Wisdom: Making imaginative, evidence-based, and historically informed
decisions. Example: Norman Borlaug.
Long-Term Dedication: Committing over the course of a career or lifetime to a particular
community or cause. Example: Aminatou Haidar.
Selfless Courage: Acting for the greater good even in the face of uncertainty, complacency, inconvenience, risk, or danger. Example: Berta Cáceres.
Audrey Mugeni, 2024 Mountaintop Fellow