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.

2025 NVC Competition Live Stream

2025 NVC Awards Live Stream

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.

A student standing with a faculty member holding big winning checks from the New Venture Challenge 2024.

Start up

Build up your venture idea.

Learn more

A student smiling and standing in front of his venture display at the 2024 New Venture Challenge.

Family business

Explore the Alternative Entrepreneurial Pathways category at NVC.

Learn more

A close-up of the Prusa i3 MK3 printer in the entrepreneurship makerspace, the IDEA Den in Grawn Hall 166.

Product and prototype design

Create and patent your ideas.

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Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

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All jazzed up

by Sanjna Jassi

The 46th annual Jazz Weekend brought together high school and middle school students, current CMU students, and alumni to celebrate jazz.

Amid some intense winter weather, even the music was cool at Central Michigan University.

High school and middle school jazz musicians from all across the state flooded campus this month as part of the 46th annual Jazz Weekend.

An exciting education

Each year, Jazz Weekend brings together over 1,200 high school and junior high students, CMU alumni, and current CMU students.

Students perform for ratings and awards, receive critiques from top clinicians and adjudicators, and enjoy performances from CMU jazz bands and guest artists.

CMU music student Jeremy Wisler, from Midland, Michigan, attended Jazz Weekend as a high school student in 2012, 2014 and 2015.

"I looked forward to the rehearsals leading up to Jazz Weekend," Wisler said. "I always felt a great deal of fulfillment and pride when our band would put on a great performance at CMU after weeks of hard work."

Wisler now participates in Jazz Weekend as a member of Central's Jazz Lab 1, which performs for the visiting students.

"When Jazz Weekend takes place, there's an electric excitement that fills the air on campus," said Wisler. "The opportunity to take musical risks stirs up nerves and optimism in the minds of the visiting students."