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.

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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.

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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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An entrepreneurial take on boot camp

by Sanjna Jassi

CMU School of Music students learn entrepreneurial skills for their careers in music from visiting guest artist Akropolis.

The five visiting members of Akropolis Reed Quintet recently gave Central Michigan University students in the School of Music an opportunity to improve their entrepreneurial skills.

"Entrepreneurship helps students learn to be their own manager and be self-sufficient wherever their career takes them," said Kristin Pagels, director of music events.

As part of their October visit, Akropolis held a two-hour workshop dedicated to helping students understand themselves, their self-expression and how they can work better with others to further their careers.

"The first thing we ask students to do is reflect on what they really want to do and what they really want to be," said Kari Landry, clarinetist and marketing and development manager of Akropolis' nonprofit organization. "Oftentimes, it's the first time someone has asked them that question."

For music student Elizabeth Troxell, from Shepherd, Michigan, the workshop helped her identify how her values would help her reach her goals and how she can successfully overcome obstacles in her path.

"Just playing an instrument is a fantastic thing, but the entrepreneurship skills are what's really going to foster a successful musical career," Troxell said. "Nobody is going to see you as just a performer or just an ensemble."