From funding scholarships to fueling innovation, the Foundation powers ESCP’s boldest ambitions.
What elevates a leading business school to global distinction? At ESCP, the answer lies not only in academic excellence but in the strategic force shaping its future: the ESCP Foundation.
In the evolving landscape of global higher education, institutions face mounting pressure to deliver academic excellence, cultivate global leadership, and remain financially resilient, all while broadening access and inclusion.
For ESCP Business School, these demands converge at a critical point. The School’s pursuit of long-term financial autonomy and international competitiveness has long depended, in no small part, on the strength of its philanthropic infrastructure: the ESCP Foundation.
Created in 2005 by a group of committed alumni, it began as a quiet but visionary initiative to support ESCP’s academic excellence. In 2012, it gained recognition as a foundation of public utility, legally authorised to solicit donations from individuals, companies, and partner institutions. Since then, its role has expanded in tandem with the School’s evolution from a Franco-European pioneer to a leading global institution.
Today, the ESCP Foundation fuels transformative ESCP initiatives in four strategic areas: equal opportunity and inclusion, student experience, academic excellence, and entrepreneurship. It has provided countless scholarships to underrepresented populations, funded the construction of critical infrastructure, financed research Chairs and Professorships, and enabled the expansion of ESCP’s entrepreneurial incubator, the Blue Factory. It plays an indispensable part in ESCP’s growth and development.
The ESCP Foundation is preparing to launch its first-ever major fundraising campaign on May 15th, positioning itself not just as a supporter of ESCP’s ambitions but as the engine powering the School’s ability to lead, innovate, and expand access in the years ahead.
We spoke with Brynhild Dumas, Executive Director of the ESCP Foundation, and Jean-Stéphane Arcis, Foundation President and ESCP alumnus, about the Foundation’s vision, its evolving role, and why now is a moment of strategic consequence.
How has the Foundation’s role changed since it was first created?
Brynhild Dumas: Today, the ESCP Foundation stands as a strategic cornerstone of the School — not simply a philanthropic arm, but a true accelerator of development and innovation. Since its founding in 2005, the Foundation has evolved from a support mechanism into a mission-critical force, empowering the School to pursue academic excellence, social mobility, and global influence.
A defining moment in this journey was the School’s shift to financial autonomy in 2019. This transition reframed the Foundation’s role: no longer a ‘nice-to-have,’ but an essential driver of ESCP’s resilience and capacity to compete internationally.
What’s something the Foundation makes possible that people may not fully understand?
Brynhild Dumas: Data shows scale: over €50 million raised since our creation in 2005, 1,300 students supported annually, 25 research chairs, 90 corporate partners. Yet numbers can’t fully express the human stories behind this impact — the student whose scholarship changed their life trajectory, or the entrepreneur whose start-up was born in the School’s incubator. These are emotional, generational legacies that live beyond numbers.
Jean-Stéphane Arcis: The image that comes to mind for me is that of a diverse group of scholarship recipients, standing proudly on stage, representing every continent, discipline, and background. That moment captures the essence of the Foundation: real people, real lives impacted, and a School made stronger by their presence.
Jean-Stéphane, how does your own ESCP experience shape your leadership of the Foundation?
Jean-Stéphane Arcis: As a former student, I experienced first-hand the transformative power of ESCP’s education — a mix of academic rigour, international exposure, and human connection. It instilled in me a belief in lifelong learning and collective success. Today, that experience fuels my commitment to ensuring others have the same or better opportunities, regardless of background. Leading the Foundation means amplifying access, excellence, and impact, just as the School once did for me.
What’s a common misconception about philanthropy at ESCP?
Brynhild Dumas: That it’s reserved for the few. Many still believe philanthropy is about large-scale gifts, but the Foundation thrives because of collective energy: alumni who give year after year, classes that mobilise together, individuals who believe in paying it forward. Every contribution matters. Whether large or modest, donations help unlock opportunity, fuel innovation, and shape the ESCP of tomorrow.
What is next for the ESCP Foundation?
Jean-Stéphane Arcis: The Foundation’s upcoming campaign will continue to build a bold, inclusive, and resilient ESCP — one that leads globally, inspires locally, and evolves continuously. In today’s increasingly competitive higher education landscape, institutions rely on substantial capital funds to reinforce their global standing.
While immediate funding fuels pedagogical innovation and enriched student life, a strong endowment is essential to securing ESCP’s long-term financial resilience, especially in the absence of public subsidies. Without it, the risk is stagnation. But with it, the School can rise — with its alumni, donors, students, and partners — toward a future that is ambitious, sustainable, and meaningful.
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