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Sponsorship

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Entrepreneurship CenterIndirect supportNo equityVerified

Center for Innovation and Leadership

Also known as: CIL

Swarthmore College · Swarthmore, PA

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Quick fit check

  • Indirect support only
  • No equity required
  • Currently active
  • Verified by research

Key numbers

Funding range

—

Equity

None

Application

Ongoing

Campus Wide

Last activity

2026-04-01

High confidence

Application and Timing

Funding applications open January, close February for summer programs. DDF available during academic year. SwatTank runs spring semester. Mentorship Collective holds periodic sessions.

Participants

Open to all Swarthmore undergraduates. Some programs (Summer Fund) restricted to first-years/sophomores/juniors.

Funding and Equity

CIL itself does not provide direct funding but administers three distinct student funding programs with separate terms. No equity taken by any CIL program.

Recent Activity

2026: CIL funding pages updated with current cycles. SwatTank 2026 finals held April 2026 with five competing teams. Instagram active (@swatcil) with April 2025 SwatTank coverage. CIL website current as of 2026.

Known Startups or Winners

Multiple SwatTank winners documented: Senaqi (2026, MedTech), Goldfish (2026, social productivity), PathWise (2026, AI planning), CHIBEES (2025, health app), NudgeBudge (2024, habit app), SQUAD (2023, AI emergency response), Shelf (2018, clothing marketplace).

Verification Gaps

  • CIL annual budget and staffing levels not publicly disclosed
  • Number of students served annually unknown
  • SwIF program details not captured in this pass

Center for Innovation and Leadership

The Center for Innovation and Leadership (CIL) is the central entrepreneurship and innovation hub at Swarthmore College, established in 2019. CIL provides experiential learning, engaging programs, internships, mentorship, and funding to help students develop skills to lead, innovate, and create value — including starting new ventures.

Programs and Services

  • CIL Venture Fund — Summer stipend of at least $6,000 for students working full-time on their own ventures
  • CIL Summer Fund — $6,000 stipend for unpaid innovation/entrepreneurship/leadership internships
  • CIL Design and Development Fund — Grants for conferences, prototyping, and personal development
  • SwatTank — Annual pitch competition ($3,000 first place)
  • Entrepreneurship Mentorship Collective — Virtual gatherings connecting students with alumni founders and investors
  • Swarthmore Innovation Fellows (SwIF) — Innovation fellows program
  • Tri-Co Hackathon — Multi-college coding/hackathon event
  • McCabe Scholars — Leadership scholarship program
  • Senior Showcase — Capstone presentation event
  • Resources Beyond Swat — Curated external ecosystem directory
Additional research notesShow

Evidence

Official CIL homepage, funding page, SwatTank page, and past-participants page all confirm active programming.