Summer Fellowship

A full-time summer accelerator for student-led ventures ready for focused growth. Receive $20,000 in funding, intensive mentorship, workshops, and dedicated time to move your venture forward.

summer fellows

Overview

Summer Fellowship gives student founders something that's often difficult to find during the academic year: dedicated time to build.

The multi-week, full-time accelerator supports Yale student-led companies, nonprofits, and initiatives ready to make significant progress over the summer. Teams receive funding, mentorship, workshops, coaching, and sustained support from the Tsai CITY community.

The program begins with intensive in-person programming before transitioning to a more independent virtual phase, giving teams both structured support and dedicated time to execute. 

Resources

Each team receives:

  • $20,000 in grant funding
  • A dedicated Venture Advisor
  • A board of mentors
  • 10+ expert-led workshops
  • A one-night retreat
  • 24/7 access to the Tsai CITY building during the program
  • Weekly mentorship and tailored support
  • An invitation to pitch at Demo Day

Application and Criteria

Summer Fellowship may be a good fit if:

  • Your team includes a current Yale undergraduate or graduate student
  • Your venture has demonstrated traction
  • You have developed and tested a functional pilot
  • You have active customers or users
  • You have established a sustainable model for the venture
  • Your team has the skills and expertise needed to advance the work
  • At least one founding team member will participate in the Fellowship
  • You can commit full time for the duration of the program

Expectations

Time commitment: Full time
2027 in-person phase: TBD
2027 virtual phase: TBD

Participants are expected to:

  • Attend all required sessions
  • Work approximately 40 hours per week on their venture during the virtual phase
  • Participate actively in workshops, mentorship, and coaching
  • Set and pursue ambitious goals throughout the summer
  • Prepare to share their progress at Demo Day

Apply

This application will be available during the spring semester. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more updates about this and other programs/events happening at Tsai CITY.