Start up
Build up your venture idea.
Learn more
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.
CLASS awards honor alumni, students and faculty
by
Sarah Buckley
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences honored recipients of our distinguished alumni awards, student paper competitions, and faculty teaching and diversity awards during the annual CLASS Awards Ceremony Oct. 26 in the Biosciences Building at Central Michigan University.
Dean Richard Rothaus and Associate Dean Marcy Taylor welcomed back to campus four alumni who are skilled practitioners in their fields and who have made a positive impact on their communities. They also recognized the scholarly and professional endeavors of the recipients of the CLASS Student Paper Competition and the Joyce Henricks Paper Prize in Women and Gender Studies.
The CLASS Excellence in Teaching & Learning Awards honor CLASS faculty members who go above and beyond what is expected in creating exceptional learning opportunities for our students. This year, the college also announced the recipients of the inaugural CLASS Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging Awards for Inclusive Excellence in Teaching and Service. These awards recognize the efforts CLASS faculty and staff make to transform the educational experiences of students and enhance the sense of belonging for all.
Alumni awards
- Isabel Montemayor, '05, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Global Engagement
- Dan Eichinger, MPA '14, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Professional Practice
- Kris Phillips, '03, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Scholarly Activity
- Kadi Prout, '08, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Public Service
Student paper awards
- Clare Flaherty, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “Banshees and Fairy Faith in Modern Day Ireland” (REL 303WI)
- Evan Grossnickle, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “Female-Authored Early Modern Recipe Books: A Nexus of Identity Formation in the British Empire” (HST 496)
- Haley Hill, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “The Role of Ghosts in Early Modern England” (HST 741A)
- Weston Wise, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “Aqkaqghanr: A Unique Past, Troubled Present, and Hopeful Future” (ANT 400)
- Adeline Renberg, Joyce Henricks Paper Prize in Women and Gender Studies, “Queer Identities and Witchcraft” in REL/WGS 302
Faculty teaching and diversity awards
- Maria Chouza-Calo, Maroon Excellence in Teaching & Learning Award for regular faculty
- Kyla Stepp, Maroon Excellence in Teaching & Learning Award for regular faculty
- Grace VanDeMark, Gold Excellence in Teaching & Learning Award for fixed-term faculty
- Dr. Michelle Cassidy, Individual Award for Inclusive Excellence in Teaching and Service
- Institute for Transformative Dialogue, Team Award for Inclusive Excellence in Teaching and Service
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.
