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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.
Action begins on strategic enrollment management plan
by
Eric Baerren
Action has started on one of the signature initiatives introduced by President Neil MacKinnon during this First 100 Days presentation.
University officials have selected a national firm with expertise in strategic enrollment management (SEM) plans, SEMWorks, to develop a SEM plan tailored to CMU, said Jennifer DeHaemers, vice president of student recruitment and retention. This fall’s recruiting cycle will incorporate parts of the plan.
SEMWorks has worked with dozens of two- and four-year schools in the United States and Canada, including the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the City University of New York and McGill University in Montreal.
“I have witnessed, firsthand, the value of a SEM plan at two other universities,” said CMU President Neil MacKinnon. “Our SEM plan, once developed, will provide a roadmap to enrollment growth by identifying priorities and where investments should be made.”
Representatives from SEMWorks will visit campus in April for a two-day visit, DeHaemers said. They plan to meet with many individuals involved in recruiting and retaining students and review how CMU receives and reviews applications.
They are already reviewing market data.
SEMWorks has the resources to take a deeper look at not just how CMU enrolls students but what external challenges it faces in recruiting domestic and international students who are both undergraduate and graduate students, she said.
They also plan to consider academic programs, both in-person and through CMU Innovation and Online, to look for growth opportunities, she said. The CMU Online review will work in conjunction with a separate ongoing assessment.
DeHaemers and David Patton, senior vice provost, will lead CMU’s team in what she said will be a collaborative effort between CMU and SEMWorks.
They expect to have the five-year plan to support recruiting and enrollment in place by November. The plan will include targets for enrollment, persistence, retention and four- and six-year graduation rates.
Signature Programs
Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
Explore special opportunities to learn new skills and travel the world.
Compete & Win
New Venture Challenge 2025
Present your venture and win BIG at the New Venture Challenge.
Build your skills
Workshops and events
Boost your entrepreneurial skills through our workshops, mentor meetups and pitch competitions.
Develop your ideas
IDEA Den
Learn about the entrepreneurship makerspace on campus in Grawn Hall.
Ready, Set, Pitch!
Make-A-Pitch 2024
Present a 2-minute pitch at the Make-A-Pitch Competition and you could win prizes and bragging rights!
Meet Mentors
Mentorship and support
Connect with mentors and faculty who are here to support the next generation of CMU entrepreneurs.
Support students
Make an impact
Are you a CMU alum looking to support CMU student entrepreneurs? Learn how you can support or donate to the Entrepreneurship Institute.
View our programming newsletter
Alumni give back to students through mentorship, real-world experiences
The Wakeling Gendron Entrepreneurial Scholars program wrapped its first cohort this academic year.
Students compete to win cash prizes at the New Venture Challenge
Pitched 40 ventures at NMV Challenge, Friday, April 19, CMU. Judges awarded $100,000 in cash prizes.
Wakeling Gendron Scholars make a life-changing trip to Texas
Wakeling and Gendron Scholars attended SXSW in Texas, meeting industry leaders and gaining entrepreneurial insights.
Business barriers lead CMU students to a new venture
Justin Ashman and Philip Mundt won Central Michigan University's New Venture Competition with their 3-D printing operation, Form Further.
