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Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

We are a dedicated institute for student entrepreneurs across campus and beyond. We aim to maximize your success by fostering your entrepreneurial mindset, promote inter-disciplinary collaboration and provide support for the creation and development of your new ventures. Jumpstart your ideas and get involved today!

Tune in for excitement!

Passion. Potential. Pitches. Don't miss any of the 2025 New Venture Challenge excitement.

Tune in Friday, April 11 at 1 p.m. for great ideas and fierce competition. Then, join the judges, mentors, spectators and teams as they see who is going home with thousands of dollars in venture financing. The awards broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. and one team will walk away as the overall best venture. 

Start your entrepreneurial journey

Central Michigan University’s College of Business Administration is the home of the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship and the first Department of Entrepreneurship in the state of Michigan. We are a student-centric hub where experiential, curricular, and external entrepreneurial opportunities intersect.

Our mission is to maximize student success by fostering a campus-wide entrepreneurial mindset that promotes inter-disciplinary collaboration and the creation of new ventures.

We aim to create innovative programming, boost cross-campus and ecosystem collaboration and provide a comprehensive mentoring program.

Our institute provides extracurricular opportunities and is open to all undergraduate and graduate CMU students.

Student opportunities

  • Meet experienced alumni, faculty, entrepreneurs, investors, and other business and political leaders.
  • Learn practical skills, innovative thinking, and connect with mentors and entrepreneurial resources.
  • Attend skill-building workshops and compete in pitch competitions and Hackathons.
  • Take part in special scholarship programs and travel experiences.
  • Pitch your venture at our signature New Venture Challenge event and compete for up to $20,000 in cash awards.

      Find your path

      Are you interested in becoming an entrepreneur?

      Every journey is unique. Explore the opportunities that interest you.

      4 misconceptions about online degrees

      by User Not Found
      You're a busy educator. A master's degree sounds like a great idea – a pay bump, updated skills, prestige, a longtime dream fulfilled. But you need the best fit for your work and family schedules. Online seems to make sense. No travel time, do your work after the kids are in bed, catch up over your lunch hour or on your commute. But you're not sure.
      Sometimes the biggest impediment to moving forward is misconception.

      You're a busy educator. A master's degree sounds like a great idea – a pay bump, updated skills, prestige, a longtime dream fulfilled. But you need the best fit for your work and family schedules. Online seems to make sense. No travel time, do your work after the kids are in bed, catch up over your lunch hour or on your commute. But you're not sure.

      You've heard things. Maybe it's not worth it. Maybe you'll miss talking with classmates. Maybe you won't fit in. Maybe your computer will crash.

      Maybe you could use some help sorting out some of the biggest misconceptions about online programs.

      You work alone and there's little interaction with other students or your instructor.

      Online is the perfect place to meet people in the same situation you are. They are working, raising families and living their lives. Through group work and chat sessions, you get to know each other. Everyone here has a story and a goal. You can expand your business network and support system while you make friends with like-minded professionals. Instructors often say they have more one-on-one time with online students. It's a very direct interaction you don't often get in a classroom. You email or call your instructor and get a personal reply.

      Employers don't like online degrees.

      Online programs are so common today, as long as your degree comes from an accredited, reputable institution, employers really aren't worried whether you did your work in your pajamas or a classroom, according to U.S. News and World Report.

      You have to be a computer expert.

      If you have basic computer skills and can navigate your way around the internet, open and close programs, do a search, attach a file, and save your work, you should be fine. Many schools have demo courses so you can get familiar with the software before you start your class and programs that test your computer to see if you have everything you need. If something doesn't work, most schools have free tech help available to all students.

      It's all self-paced. I need some structure to keep me on track.

      Due dates are not going away. Instructors give you a syllabus with tasks and milestones to meet as you move through the course. You won't be able to put it all off to the last minute. If you have trouble staying organized, many schools have tips and tricks to help with time management.

      Don't let misconceptions stand between you and your goal. Bottom line, if you need a flexible format for your studies, do your research. Look for a regionally accredited school with a great reputation for support and a history of graduating successful online students. There's a checklist with guidelines for choosing an online school.

      To take your first step toward your online master's degree, check out all the programs offered by Central Michigan University.

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