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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Athletic Training Celebrates 50th Anniversary

by Kathleen Hodgkins

The School of Rehabilitation and Medicine Sciences' athletic training program in The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions is celebrating its 50-year anniversary!

The program was built on a strong foundation and began offering the athletic training minor in 1973. In addition, athletic training was the first program offering a major in sports medicine to receive formal approval by the National Athletic Training Association (NATA) in 1979.

Ken Kopke and Ron Sendre founded the program, paving the way for current faculty and nearly 1,000 alumni who have graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the athletic training program. To this day, the athletic training program continues to provide health care services for Central Michigan University’s (CMU) NCAA Division I athletics, as well as to local NCAA Division II and III programs. Students and faculty have also continued to provide health care services for university recreation activities, CMU’s club and intramural sports, emergency departments, and outpatient therapeutic rehabilitation clinics locally and across the nation. Students and faculty also volunteer at events such as the Special Olympics Michigan and in area high schools.

This year also marks an exciting time and transition for CMU’s athletic training program. Beginning this year, the program will be accepting its inaugural class of graduate-level athletic training students. Those seeking their master's degree will discover the same level of dedication and quality healthcare services that have epitomized CMU's athletic training program for five decades.

To all the current and former faculty, staff, administrators and most importantly, the students of CMU’s athletic training Program, your dedication over the last 50 years has made a profound difference in countless lives.