The Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative empowers changemakers by redefining access to education

Khadija Adam Rogo stood before a room of secondary school students in Kano State in Nigeria, poised to speak on a critical topic. 

As part of her six-month internship with the National Institute for Leadership and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, Rogo worked daily to educate young women on sexual harassment and violence prevention. In the weeks to follow, she would meet with community leaders–chiefs, district heads, and parents–to explore their vital role in safeguarding women and girls. 

Just months earlier, Rogo was a young entrepreneur embarking on a new journey with the Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative. Rogo, a biochemistry graduate and entrepreneur, entered the program with a desire to grow her business and deepen her understanding of sustainable development. Her initial goal was to learn to integrate technology and strategy into her agro-processing venture, but she found much more.

Stories like Rogo’s are at the heart of the Global Initiative, an education movement launched by Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. Designed to provide a comprehensive business education at no cost to communities worldwide, thanks to the generosity of donors and Thunderbird alumni Francis and Dionne Najafi, the Global Initiative is providing critical access to cultivate a powerful community of global leaders.

Learners like Rogo can choose from three tailored pathways–Foundational, Intermediate, and Advanced–that are catered to different individual needs and goals.

“When you remove barriers to world-class education, the results can be transformative,” said Charla Griffy-Brown, direct general and dean of Thunderbird. “The Global Initiative empowers learners everywhere to transform their own lives, but also to uplift their families, communities, and future generations.”

For Rogo, that transformation began with reframing her own approach to business and leadership.

“Before the program, I saw strategic planning as a rigid formula,” she said. “But I learned that real strategy is dynamic. It adapts, evolves, and requires continuous learning.”

Through her subsequent internship, Rogo reached over 400 individuals across Kano State, educating students and engaging with community leaders to create safer, more informed communities. She also began forming business collaborations and applying sustainable practices to her company, laying a foundation not just for profit, but for long-term impact.

While Rogo represents the next generation of changemakers, David James Drake, a 1996 Thunderbird graduate and president of Spartan Chemical’s Brazilian subsidiary, embodies the importance of lifelong learning. After decades of leadership in Latin America and Africa, Drake joined the program as both a student and mentor, interested in participating after maintaining a long-term relationship with the school.

“I wanted to understand the modules well enough to guide younger professionals through them,” he said. “Each module contains real-world insights but is flexible enough for people balancing jobs and travel.”

Drake now uses his experience to motivate and mentor emerging leaders, both within his company and beyond. 

“If I can make time to complete the program, so can they,” he said. “Doing so opens doors to knowledge, community, and opportunity.”

Drake also enrolled in the first cohort of Thunderbird’s Doctor of Professional Practice (DPP), and while he temporarily put his doctorate journey on hold, Drake is determined to complete it and explore teaching part-time in the future. 

Learners like Drake that are interested in pursuing a full degree can do so through the Initiative; those who complete the full Advanced pathway curriculum can put their course credit towards Thunderbird’s online Master of Leadership and Management degree, or the Graduate Certificate in Global Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

With different aspirations, Global Initiative participants continue to use the program for great purposes. For Rogo, that means building sustainable businesses and driving grassroots change. For Drake, it means mentoring others and helping students bridge academic theory with real-world practice.

Both are steadfast in the belief that being part of this global learning community has widened their global perspectives and expanded their reach.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is that leadership today means understanding what the next generation is learning now, and not just repeating what we learned decades ago,” Drake said.

As the Global Initiative expands across continents and cultures, its true power comes from the original vision that placed opportunity and access at its core. Stories like Rogo’s and Drake’s exemplify the endless opportunities that are made possible when barriers are removed.

“One learner’s growth can spark change in entire communities,” Griffy-Brown said. “The Najafis envisioned a world where anyone, anywhere, could access the tools to lead and innovate. Thunderbird is honored to help make that vision a reality for learners across the globe.”

To learn more about the Global Initiative and ways to get involved, visit 100millionlearners.org.