Associate Director, Mentor Network & Community

Overview

The Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY) mission is to inspire students from diverse backgrounds and disciplines to seek innovative ways to solve real-world problems.  Our unique innovation center welcomes students from all backgrounds to explore entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship across a wide spectrum of innovation—from venture‑backable startups in areas like AI and deep tech, to policy and civic initiatives that drive meaningful systems change, to transformative creative innovations such as documentary films and immersive media that shape culture.  We serve students from across Yale’s campus through non-academic programs, funding, and mentoring.  
 
The Associate Director will activate our 700+ member mentor network and focus on ecosystem building and relationship management to ensure student innovators have access to the right guidance, expertise, and connections. The Associate Director will shape the strategy, systems, and experiences that power a high-impact mentor network aligned with Tsai CITY’s mission.
 
Essential Duties:  
Reporting to the Managing Director, Entrepreneurship, and working collaboratively across the team and ecosystem, the Associate Director will:   

• Steward and engage a vibrant, high-quality network of volunteer mentors comprised of Yale alumni, serial entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts. 

• Identify expertise gaps and lead targeted recruitment to meet evolving founder needs. Develop a strategic approach to sourcing and engaging experts across sectors, functions, and geographies. 

• Lead the recruitment and mentor matching process for the venture development program and prize competitions application review process 

• Lead effective matching processes for the individual student innovative projects and accelerator cohorts that drive meaningful, high-impact interactions. 

• Drive mentor participation in key capstone events, including Startup Yale, Demo Day, and Showcases. 

• Monitor and improve mentor–founder engagement and outcomes. Design and deliver mentor-driven programming (e.g., office hours, curated introductions, events, and venture support experiences). 

• Create clear, high-quality onboarding and engagement pathways for network participants. 

• Coordinate and lead collaborative efforts with Development for alumni engagement. 

• Oversee systems that support the mentor network (e.g., CRM, matching tools, engagement tracking). 

• Track key metrics such as participation, satisfaction, and match success.  Use data and insights to drive continuous improvement and scalability. 

• Partner across Yale to strengthen the broader innovation ecosystem and promote a consistent mentor engagement strategy. 

• Represent Tsai CITY internally and externally and build relationships that advance Tsai CITY’s mission. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Preferred Skills/Education/Experience:  

• Experience in program management, development, community building, or innovation ecosystems. 

• Strong relationship building and communication skills. 

• Experience managing networks (mentors, advisors, or investors). 

• Ability to translate founder needs into structured, scalable solutions. 

• Experience working with early-stage startups, accelerators, or university-based innovation programs. 

• Familiarity with CRM and engagement tools. 

• Comfort with a variety of software platforms for managing projects, such as Slack, Airtable, Luma, Google Drive, Salesforce, and MS Office.  Adept at learning new software tools. 

• Student advising, mentoring, coaching, or teaching experience.  Ability to connect with students through conversation and listening. 

 
Required Skills and Abilities
1. Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to create engaging content and manage digital and print communications.
2. Demonstrated ability in program and project management, including managing budgets, schedules, and resources effectively. 
3. Strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment. 
4. Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability. 
5. Proficiency in Microsoft Office