Carnegie Mellon University has named Damion Shelton (SCS 2004, 2007) as associate vice president and the next executive director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship(opens in new window), appointing an experienced entrepreneur, technology executive and Carnegie Mellon alumnus to lead the university's next phase of growth in entrepreneurship, enterprise creation and research commercialization. His first day will be Aug. 17. 

Shelton returns to Carnegie Mellon at a pivotal time for entrepreneurship across the university. Building on nearly a decade of growth at the Swartz Center and Carnegie Mellon's longstanding leadership in artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering, computer science and the sciences, he will lead the center's next chapter by strengthening the university’s founder ecosystem, expanding commercialization support and deepening connections with alumni, mentors, investors and industry partners. He will work collaboratively across the innovation enterprise, including with technology transfer and Carnegie Mellon's seven colleges and schools, to strengthen the pathways that help faculty, students, postdoctoral scholars and alumni translate discoveries into successful ventures.

Previously, Shelton helped to found one of the nation’s leading Physical AI deep-technology startups. As co-founder of Agility Robotics, he led the company from an emerging robotics startup to one of the world's leading developers of humanoid robots. His experience navigating every stage of venture creation — from research and product development to fundraising, commercialization and organizational growth — reflects the entrepreneurial journey Carnegie Mellon seeks to make more accessible for its own faculty, students and alumni.

"Damion represents the very best of Carnegie Mellon," said President Farnam Jahanian. "He is a distinguished alumnus who has demonstrated how bold ideas, world-class research and entrepreneurial ambition can come together to create transformative technologies and companies. We are thrilled to welcome him back to lead this important next chapter for the Swartz Center."

Shelton will report to Theresa Mayer, vice president for research, and work closely with Meredith Meyer Grelli, the inaugural vice provost for entrepreneurship and associate vice president, who leads the planning and implementation of a scalable, university-wide academic curriculum designed to provide students with pathways to engage in entrepreneurship education. 

The Swartz Center launched in 2016 thanks to a transformative $31 million gift from CMU alumnus and distinguished entrepreneur and venture capitalist James R. Swartz (GSIA 1966). Since its opening, the Swartz Center and related entrepreneurship programs at Carnegie Mellon have helped launch more than 400 startups. That work is part of a broader culture of innovation and enterprise creation that has produced 67 CMU-affiliated unicorns — privately held startups valued at more than $1 billion — including companies such as Duolingo and Skild AI. In 2025, Startup Week brought more than 200 investor and industry partners representing 150 firms to campus and facilitated more than 400 meetings between CMU founders and investors.

"Great universities produce extraordinary ideas, but ideas alone don't change the world," said Swartz, founder of the global venture capital firm Accel, whose gift in 2015 brought the center into existence. "They need leaders who understand what it takes to build companies, attract talent, raise capital and persevere through uncertainty. Damion has done exactly that. His experience as both an entrepreneur and a Carnegie Mellon alumnus makes him exceptionally well positioned to inspire and support the next generation of CMU founders."

CMU’s entrepreneurial community has had an enduring influence on Pittsburgh, with companies founded by alumni and researchers attracting billions in investment, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and drawing investors and industry leaders to the region. Their success has helped establish Pittsburgh as a global center for technology, innovation and entrepreneurship.

"The entrepreneurial momentum at Carnegie Mellon is extraordinary, and we have an opportunity to be even more ambitious," said Mayer. "The Swartz Center has built a powerful foundation for founders, connecting exceptional ideas and talent with the mentorship, capital and networks needed to move forward. Damion knows that journey firsthand. His experience building and scaling a deep-technology company will help us expand what the center can do and create even stronger pathways for the next generation of Carnegie Mellon entrepreneurs."

Shelton's appointment reflects the university's commitment to placing experienced entrepreneurs at the center of its innovation ecosystem. Throughout his career, he has worked at the intersection of research, entrepreneurship and commercialization, bringing firsthand knowledge of the challenges founders face as they transform breakthrough technologies into sustainable companies. Those experiences closely align with the Swartz Center's mission to help Carnegie Mellon innovators navigate the journey from laboratory discovery to marketplace impact.

Today, the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship serves as the university's front door for venture creation, bringing together business expertise, technology, mentorship, funding and industry connections to help innovators transform bold ideas into companies that create economic opportunity and societal benefit.

During the last 10 years, the center has helped launch hundreds of startups while supporting entrepreneurs through programs including VentureBridge, the McGinnis Venture Competition, the Gebhardt Sandbox Fund, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, the Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows Program, Lab to Market, the Deep Tech Venture Ready Program and CMU Startup Week. 

As executive director, Shelton will build on that strong foundation by expanding opportunities for innovators across every discipline, strengthening Carnegie Mellon's commercialization ecosystem and helping more breakthrough technologies reach the marketplace through new ventures and entrepreneurial partnerships.

"Carnegie Mellon has always been a place where people tackle hard problems and aren't afraid to build something new," Shelton said. "I've been fortunate to experience that firsthand as a student, entrepreneur and founder. I'm excited to return and help more members of the CMU community take great ideas beyond the lab, navigate the challenges of building a company and create technologies that make a real difference."

Shelton's ties to Pittsburgh's technology and robotics community span more than two decades. He earned bachelor's degrees in bioengineering and history and philosophy of science from the University of Pittsburgh before earning his master's and Ph.D. in robotics from Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute. He later co-founded Pittsburgh-based threeRivers 3D, a 3D imaging company that was acquired in 2012, before co-founding Agility Robotics in 2015. As CEO, Shelton helped grow Agility into a leader in humanoid robotics; the company today maintains a significant engineering and testing presence in Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood. He currently serves as Agility's co-founder and chairman of the board.