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.

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 community invited to share thoughts in the search for the university's next president

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As Central Michigan University begins the national search for its 16th president, the CMU Board of Trustees is asking for community input.

The presidential search advisory committee, led by Trustee Denise Williams Mallett, will host several virtual listening sessions to engage students, faculty, staff, alumni, community partners and supporters in the development of a new presidential profile. The discussion will provide stakeholders opportunities to share thoughts on the required experience, values, priorities and characteristics that will be most important for the university’s next leader.

The virtual sessions will be facilitated by search firm WittKieffer and can be accessed on the appropriate date and time using the links below.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Faculty listening session, 2:00-2:45 p.m.
Staff listening session, 3:00-3:45 p.m.
Student listening session, 4:00-4:45 p.m.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024

Community partner listening session, 1:30-2:15 p.m.
Open session for all CMU stakeholders, 2:30-3:15 p.m.

All CMU community members, partners and supporters also can use the online submission form to provide input.

Input received from listening sessions and the online form will guide development of the presidential profile and job description, which will be used to advertise the position in late spring and summer.

Additional information about the presidential search is available on the presidential search webpage and the presidential search frequently asked questions webpage.