Program Overview

Mayfield Fellows Program

The Mayfield Fellows Program is Stanford’s premier entrepreneurial leadership opportunity, selecting just 12 exceptional undergraduates and co-terminal students annually to join an intensive nine-month journey in technology venture creation. Regardless of academic background or major, Fellows engage in rigorous coursework designed to develop the strategic thinking, innovation capabilities, and leadership acumen essential for building transformative companies.

Program Information

• The program’s distinctive three-course sequence provides comprehensive training in understanding the underpinnings of inflecting venture startups.
• A paid summer internship at a leading startup offers invaluable real-world application of theoretical frameworks.
• Fellows benefit from direct mentorship by distinguished industry leaders, including startup founders, venture capitalists, and accomplished faculty members.
• The program’s academic rigor is exemplified through instruction by seed stage venture firm Floodgate co-founding partner Ann Miura-Ko and renowned entrepreneurship professor Tom Byers, who bring both scholarly expertise and practical industry insight to the classroom.

Eligibility

• Must be an active undergraduate and co-terminal Stanford student during the program.
• Must secure a paid internship and reside in the San Francisco Bay Area for the Summer.
• If you are already committed to working somewhere in the Summer of 2026 upon applying, please ensure the company meets the criteria for our Mayfield Summer Employers.

Who Should Apply?

• Students from any discipline or major are encouraged to apply.
• Note: This is not an incubator or accelerator. Students are expected to work at an early-stage venture-backed startup and not on their own idea.

Curriculum Highlights

• Culture in Startups (Josh Reeves, Founder and CEO of Gusto, MFP ’05).
• Importance of Teamwork (Naomi Girma, US National Women’s Soccer Team, Gold Medalist, MFP ’21).
• Decision-Making at the Top (Condoleezza Rice – US Secretary of State and Jonathan Levin – President of Stanford University).
• Live Seed Stage Startup Pitches.

Year-at-a-glance

Spring

• ENGR 140A: LEADERSHIP OF TECHNOLOGY VENTURES.
  • Learn the essentials of venture-scale startups and financing, product and market strategy, team building, ethics, and leadership.

Summer

• ENGR 140B: LEADERSHIP OF TECHNOLOGY VENTURES + PAID INTERNSHIP.
  • Complete a startup internship with executive mentorship, write about and analyze your experience, share experiences across the cohort, and visit other startups to compound learnings.

Autumn

• ENGR 140C: LEADERSHIP OF TECHNOLOGY VENTURES.
  • Reflect on your learnings, teach a case study on your experience to other fellows and faculty, write and exchange insights about current inflections we are observing in the world that will lead to the next generation of startups, and learn from your peers to complete your program experience.

Teaching Team

• Tom Byers: Professor, MS&E and Faculty Director, STVP.
• Ann Miura-Ko: Stanford University and Floodgate.

Testimonials

• Mayfield fellows gave me a strong community of mentors that I can lean on to help me through early career decisions and lasting friendships that bring out the best in me and challenge me to be my better self every day. - Paola Martinez, 2019 Fellow, M.S. Management Science & Engineering.
• MFP created an incredibly unique environment where I could learn from teachers and fellow students, put ideas into action, and then teach others what I had learned. - Joshua Reeves, 2005 Fellow, M.S., B.S., Electrical Engineering.

Summer Employer Info & Application

• Mayfield fellows take paid internships with organizations during the summer session, allowing each fellow to demonstrate their entrepreneurial skills on high-impact projects.
• As part of the internship experience, we require each fellow to be assigned a senior-level mentor within the organization (e.g., CEO, VP, or founder).
• Participating companies also engage in MFP-sponsored activities during the program.

Summer Employer Testimonials

• Last summer, we had the pleasure of hosting Mayfield Fellow Nahome Hagos. Nahome joined us as a Data Scientist and we could not imagine a better representative for demonstrating the value of hosting a fellow. - Jim Bullard, Pendulum Therapeutics.
• Being part of the Mayfield Fellows Program was a game changer – hosting Moritz last summer was a truly enriching experience for the Trunk Tools team. - Dr. Sarah Buchner, Trunk Tools.

Alumni

• View over 360+ Mayfield Fellows Program alumni.
• The list includes alumni from various classes, including:
  • Class of 2024
  • Class of 2023
  • Class of 2022
  • Class of 2021
  • Class of 2020
  • Class of 2019
  • Class of 2018
  • Class of 2017
  • Class of 2016
  • Class of 2015
  • Class of 2014
  • Class of 2013
  • Class of 2012
  • Class of 2011
  • Class of 2010
  • Class of 2009
  • Class of 2008
  • Class of 2007
  • Class of 2006
  • Class of 2005
  • Class of 2004
  • Class of 2003
  • Class of 2002
  • Class of 2001
  • Class of 2000
  • Class of 1999
  • Class of 1998
  • Class of 1997
  • Class of 1996

Acknowledgements

• STVP offers sincere appreciation to the Mayfield Fund for supporting this opportunity for Stanford students.
• Special thanks goes to Navin Chaddha.