Carnegie Mellon University Announces Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship Leadership Transition

Dave Mawhinney(opens in new window), founding executive director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University, will return to faculty on June 30, 2025, after nearly a decade of visionary leadership shaping the center’s growth and trajectory. The university will soon launch a national search for the center’s next leader.

“Dave Mawhinney is an undeniable force who has shaped the Swartz Center’s trajectory in both small and significant ways,” said CMU President Farnam Jahanian(opens in new window). “Carnegie Mellon’s community is grateful for his decade of impact across the entrepreneurial landscape and his unyielding commitment to the center’s success.” 

The Swartz Center launched in 2016 thanks to a transformative $31M gift from CMU alumnus and distinguished entrepreneur and venture capitalist James R. Swartz (MSIA 1966). Today, it is a nationally recognized engine for entrepreneurship education, supporting CMU startups through an array of programs including the Gebhardt Sandbox Fund, the McGinnis Venture competition, Venture Bridge pre-seed accelerator program, a robust EIR and mentor program, and the Tartan Entrepreneurs Fund. These programs have helped anchor Carnegie Mellon as a leading producer of startups among academic institutions and a primary driver of Pittsburgh’s growing dominance in emerging technologies and as an incubator for innovation. 

“Dave’s enthusiasm for life is contagious and what he has done to elevate and expand entrepreneurship at CMU is remarkable,” said Jim Swartz, founder of the global venture capital firm Accel, whose gift in 2015 brought the center into existence. “He built a center, and a community, that is vibrant, forward-looking and committed to real impact. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and grateful to Dave for leading and shaping the center’s success over the years. Without question, Dave Mawhinney has personally changed the importance and trajectory of entrepreneurship at CMU forever.” 

Mawhinney will continue to serve as a teaching professor of entrepreneurship in the Tepper School of Business. The university is planning a celebration to honor his legacy of impact to take place in fall 2025. 

“Dave stood up a center that is now thriving — with programs, partnerships and a growing pipeline of entrepreneurs committed to making a difference,” said Theresa Mayer(opens in new window), CMU’s vice president for research. “We are grateful for Dave’s incredible leadership over the years and excited for the Swartz Center to continue accelerating its mission and growing its impact to benefit society and improve lives.”

The university has named Meredith Grelli(opens in new window) as the Swartz Center’s interim director. Grelli, who has worked closely with Mawhinney and the CMU startup community over the years, will retain her other responsibilities as director of the Project Olympus Incubator Program, assistant dean for entrepreneurial initiatives within the School of Computer Science, and associate teaching professor of entrepreneurship at the Tepper School of Business.