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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.
Central Michigan Life earns second-straight Student Media Business Pacemaker
by
Eric Baerren
Central Michigan Life business and editorial staff earned 21 national awards, including the prestigious Student Media Business Pacemaker, Saturday, March 8, at the Associated Collegiate Press’ 2025 National College Media Conference in Long Beach, California.
In addition, two student leaders – Advertising Manager Olivia Garcia and Lead Graphic Designer Brittany Stevens – were recognized as the top in the country in their respective roles.
This marks the second year in a row that CM Life’s business and advertising staff – led by Assistant Director of Student Media Kathy Simon and comprising eight student account representatives and four graphic designers – has earned the coveted Pacemaker.
“It is a great honor to have our program recognized among the best in the nation” Simon said. “Everyone on this team has worked hard and pushed each other to provide creative solutions for our clients. It is incredibly rewarding to have that work also recognized with other outstanding university student media."
In February, nine universities from across the country were named finalists for the Student Media Business Pacemaker, with the winners named March 8.
“The business and marketing side of student media is critical in today’s media world – it is very important for ACP to recognize this important aspect of journalism,” association Associate Director Gary Lundgren said in a statement.
To qualify for the Student Media Business Pacemaker, applicants must provide for judging:
- A three-page overall narrative detailing
- The institution’s media kit
- Examples of print, digital, video and audio advertisements created for clients
- A newspaper special section and
- Examples of audience engagement events and a social media campaign.
CM Life business staff also garnered the following Advertising & Business Individual Awards:
- Best Advertising Graphic Designer (first place): Brittany Stevens
- Best Advertising Representative (first place): Olivia Garcia
- Print Advertisement (second place): Mickie Dausey
- Print Advertisement (fourth place): Stephanie Phung
- Video Advertisement (fifth place): Olivia Garcia
- Video Advertisement (honorable mention): Olivia Garcia
- Audio Advertisement (second place): Olivia Garcia
- Audio Advertisement (fourth place): Mickie Dausey
- Media Kit (second place): Rachel Kidder, Olivia Garcia, Mickie Dausey, Brittany Stevens and Zoey Lawrence.
- Audience Engagement Event (fourth place): Rachel Kidder and Olivia Garcia
- Social Media Campaign (first place): Brittany Stevens
“In addition to these honors, our team also attended sessions with other students on improving their skills in multi-media design, strategy and analytics,” Simon said. “They are excited to implement these new ideas with their clients in 2025 and beyond.”
The Associated Collegiate Press also recognizes outstanding advertising and editorial content via its Best of Show awards. These recognitions are judged on-site by experienced advisors and industry professionals. The business and editorial staff earned the following Best of Show Awards during the Spring 2025 conference:
- Best advertisement, print, online, video or audio (Best of Show): Olivia Garcia
- Design, newspaper/newsmagazine (sixth place): Lauren Rice and Zoey Lawrence
- Photojournalism, news/feature photo (sixth place): Ella Miller
- Photojournalism, sports photo (ninth place): Mark Hoover
- Reporting, feature story (seventh place): Masha Smahliuk
- Advertising Media Kit (second place): Central Michigan Life/Gold Media Group staff
- Digital Newsletter, four-year campus (second place): Central Michigan Life staff
- Website, four-year campus, 15,000 students or fewer (second place): Central Michigan Life staff
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.
