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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 Police Chief announces retirement plans
by
Ari Harris
Larry Klaus, chief of the Central Michigan University Police Department, is ready to spend some quality time with his grandkids. As he retires from a law enforcement career spanning four decades, Klaus said he is ready to pass the baton to the next generation of leadership. The university is preparing to search for his successor.
“CMU PD is comprised of police professionals who are trained, talented and mission-focused on keeping our campus community safe,” Klaus said. “I know I am leaving the team in a good place for its next leader.”
Klaus joined the CMU Police Department in April 2011 as police lieutenant. Prior to CMU, Klaus held roles as a Patrol Officer for the Charter Township of Plymouth and retired as a Police Lieutenant from the Lansing Police Department, both in Michigan.
His interest in a career with law enforcement began in the early 1980s when he was mentored by James Stanley, a deputy from the St. Clair County Sherriff’s department. In 2019, when Klaus was appointed chief of police at CMU, retired deputy Stanley was onsite to present the new badge of office.
During his six-year tenure as chief of police at CMU, Klaus said the department has achieved several notable milestones and overcome significant obstacles. These include:
- The celebration of the Police Department’s 50th anniversary.
- Navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic on a campus that maintained residential options to serve students on campus.
- Stabilizing turnover through the recruitment, training and retention of new officers.
- Focusing on professional development for the team and strengthening collaborative partnerships on campus and with area law enforcement agencies.
- Increasing emphasis on campus safety, with strategic investments in the deployment of new technologies.
- Supporting the university’s Emergency Management and preparedness efforts.
As he prepares to step away to begin retirement, Klaus said leaving will be bittersweet.
“This is a special place. There are people here who care deeply about CMU’s mission and for our students,” he said. “I will miss the campus community. I owe a debt of gratitude for all CMU has offered to me and my family, but I am confident in our team, and I know CMU will select a leader that will continue to build on our positive momentum.”
Selecting the next CMU Police Chief
Mary Hill, vice president for finance and administrative services and chief financial officer, has appointed a committee to lead the search for the university’s next chief of police.
Jonathan Webb, associate vice president of facilities management, will chair the search committee. Other members of the committee are:
- Jeffrey Ballard, sergeant, CMU Police Department
- Tangela Cheatham, deputy athletic director, CMU Athletics
- Adam Epstein, faculty member, Department of Finance and Law
- Eltaro Hooper, senior director and deputy Title IX Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equity
- Aaron Mills, director of communications, University Communications
- Michelle Veith, interim director, Office of Residence Life
Cali Clark, director of employment and compensation, and Allie Strong, senior human resources consultant, will serve as ex officio committee members and represent Human Resources, and Mitchel Hartman, administrative assistant for finance and administrative services, will provide administrative support for the search.
The search process will begin immediately, and there will be opportunities for the university community to participate in a review of finalists later in the year.
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.
