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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.
CMU Medical Education Partners welcomes new chief quality officer
by
Alexandria Rene
SAGINAW, Mich. – CMU Medical Education Partners (CMEP) is proud to announce the addition of Michael Sullivan, MD, as the new chief quality officer. Dr. Sullivan has 25 years of experience serving the Great Lakes Bay Region.
“Educating our learners with best-in-class care methods and ensuring that our faculty excel is essential to CMU Health’s mission,” said President and CEO Dr. Samuel Shaheen. “Adding Dr. Sullivan, an expert physician with significant experience in quality improvement, is the next step in ensuring we attain our goals.”
As the chief quality officer at CMEP, Dr. Sullivan looks forward to assisting physicians, residents, and staff in enhancing the care provided to our community. He will oversee and drive quality and safety initiatives within the organization and ensure consistent compliance across all areas. Specifically, he will oversee the quality, compliance, privacy, and risk teams.
“I am excited and honored with the opportunity to work alongside the clinicians, learners, and this team at CMU Health as we strive to enhance the care and health of our community, one in which I have called home for over 25 years,” said
Dr. Sullivan, chief quality officer. “I also look forward to helping prepare our future learners to be successful in this complex and changing healthcare landscape.”
Dr. Sullivan’s firm commitment to delivering quality health care highlights his strong expertise in strategic planning. With a decade of administrative experience, he most recently served as the vice president of quality improvement at Covenant HealthCare.
He holds a medical degree from Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, and completed his surgery residency at Northwestern University Medical School. He completed a fellowship in vascular surgery at Rush University Medical Center and earned
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.
