Empower Fund Commits $300,000 as Founding Champion of the Drucker in Asia Initiative
Claremont Graduate University’s Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management has received a $300,000 commitment over three years from Empower Fund, the philanthropic arm of CloudDepots, Inc., to support the launch of the Drucker in Asia Initiative.
The first installment of $100,000 was received on February 27, 2026.
This leadership investment supports the strategic planning and partnership development necessary to establish a stronger presence for the Drucker School in Asia, an exploratory initiative aimed at expanding the global reach of Peter Drucker’s management philosophy and strengthening the Drucker School’s international collaborations.
Over the next three years, the initiative will support regional engagement, institutional partnership development, faculty outreach, and the appointment of a dedicated graduate student coordinator to ensure sustained progress. A formal planning process will lay the groundwork for new programs and partnerships to advance responsible management and leadership education across the region.
“The Empower Fund is pleased to support the work and the efforts of this Drucker in Asia Initiative,” said representatives of the Empower Fund. “We believe strongly in the Drucker philosophy and are excited to see its positive impact expand around the world.”
The Drucker School has long served as the academic home of Peter F. Drucker’s management philosophy, which has shaped leadership practice across industries and around the globe for decades. The school’s connection to Asia is also reflected in its namesake, Masatoshi Ito (founder and honorary chairman of Seven & i Holdings, the second-largest retail organization in the world), whose leadership and partnership with Peter Drucker helped extend Drucker’s ideas into one of the world’s most dynamic business environments.
The Drucker in Asia Initiative builds on this legacy by strengthening the school’s engagement with institutions, scholars, and organizations across Asia, advancing management education and leadership development in a region that continues to shape the global economy.
“Peter Drucker’s ideas have had a profound influence across Asia for decades,” said David Sprott, Henry Y Hwang Dean of the Drucker School of Management. “This initiative allows us to deepen those connections, build meaningful partnerships, and support a new generation of leaders applying Drucker’s principles to the challenges and opportunities shaping the region today.”
By naming the Empower Fund a Founding Champion, the Drucker School recognizes the pivotal role this commitment plays in advancing the initiative’s early development. Leadership support at this stage provides the momentum needed to engage partners throughout Asia and attract additional investment to help bring the vision to life.
As Claremont Graduate University enters its second century, the Drucker in Asia Initiative represents a significant step in extending the university’s global impact, connecting Drucker’s enduring management philosophy with emerging leaders, institutions, and ideas shaping the future of management.
Learn More
Peter Drucker’s ideas were extending into Asia’s business world before “global management” was even a phrase; this initiative is the Drucker School, making that connection formal for the next generation. To learn more about the Drucker in Asia Initiative, our programs, or how to support this work, visit the Drucker School of Management or contact our admissions and development teams directly. We are the Future of Management — and that future is being built in partnership, across borders.