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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CMU College of Medicine hosts annual faculty awards ceremony

by Kelly Belcher

The CMU College of Medicine recently held an awards ceremony to recognize esteemed faculty members who made a significant contribution to academic excellence in the last year. Special acknowledgments were given to the Initial Clinical Experience (I.C.E.) preceptors, new Academy of Medical Educator members, recently promoted faculty members and to Wendy Biggs, M.D. who received the Dr. George E. and Mona Kikano Leadership in Medical Education Award during the 2024 College of Medicine Commencement.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the D and C Mridha Spirit of Teaching Award. This award honors faculty members who combine outstanding accomplishments and effective teaching, recognizes the contributions of faculty members who strive to maintain and enhance the reputation of the college as an outstanding medical school and rewards faculty who inspire, stimulate, challenge and motivate their students.

Michael D. Elftman, Ph.D., is the recipient of the 2024 D and C Mridha Spirit of Teaching Award. Elftman has been an assistant professor with the College of Medicine since 2017. He has accumulated a strong expertise in microbiology and immunology concepts and strives to remain up to date with the newest knowledge to continuously improve the material he presents. Students recognize his efforts to encourage thinking, inquiry and critical reasoning. Elftman is passionate about teaching and demonstrates compassion, fairness and professionalism as he fosters a highly academic and encouraging environment for the medical students. He has served in many leadership roles including chair of the College’s Curriculum Committee and the Jack Furnari Memorial Scholarship Committee as well as course director for the Foundational Science of Medicine A course and secretary of the CMU Graduate Curriculum Committee.

Also presented during the ceremony were the Excellence in Teaching Awards which recognize College of Medicine faculty members who demonstrate instructional expertise and exemplary teaching and the Excellence in Research Award which recognizes outstanding research initiatives from College of Medicine faculty members. Recipients of these awards have shown great dedication to the mission, vision and values of the College.

Excellence in Teaching in Foundational Sciences recipient: Jesse Bakke, Ph.D.
Excellence in Teaching in Medical Sciences recipient: Olivia Thomas, M.D.
Excellence in Teaching in Pediatric Sciences recipient: Roland Chu, M.D.
Excellence in Teaching in Surgical Sciences recipient: Therese Mead, D.O.
Excellence in Teaching as a Volunteer Community Educator recipients:
- John Lieberman, D.O.
- Prem B. Kissoondial, M.D.
- Barry J. Scofield, M.D.
- John Sharpe, M.D.
- Cara Leahy, D.O.
Excellence in Research recipients:
- Eric Petersen, Ph.D.
- Eishi Asano, M.D., Ph. D.