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.

Learn more

Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

Learn more

CMU professor elected to fellowship in the Geological Society of America

by Robert Wang

Dr. Mona Sirbescu, a professor of geology in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Central Michigan University, has been elected to Fellowship in the Geological Society of America. Fellowship is awarded “in recognition of a sustained record of distinguished contributions to the geosciences,” making it a significant achievement in Dr. Sirbescu’s career.

Mona Sirbescu in a blue shirt examining a rock on a lab table. Reflecting on her achievement, Dr. Sirbescu stated, "It is a pretty high accolade in my career. Getting this title is a big deal for me, and I’m super honored. It’s like climbing a mountain – it’s been tough, but now I can finally see the top. I just need to keep going to reach the summit!”

The GSA, one of the largest international professional associations for geosciences, awards Fellowship to a select group of individuals each year. With a membership comprising 22,000 geoscientists from academia, industry, and government, the few tens of new Fellows added annually represent a highly competitive and distinguished cohort. Dr. Sirbescu has been a dedicated member of GSA since her graduate school days and consistently presents her research alongside CMU students at their annual meetings.

Dr. Sirbescu’s Fellowship is the result of a rigorous nomination process and committee decision. She was recognized for her combined achievements in two key categories: Scientific Achievement: Discovery & Application, and Training and Mentoring of Geoscientists. Dr. Larry Lemke, chair of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at CMU, spearheaded her nomination and gathered supporting letters from three esteemed professors from other institutions.

Lemke noted: “Mona Sirbescu is a dedicated teacher-scholar who has mentored more than 50 undergraduate research projects. Her research has advanced our understanding of the origins and prospectivity of lithium-rich pegmatites, which play an increasingly important role in our green energy transition.”

In September, Dr. Sirbescu will attend the GSA Annual Meeting, known as GSA Connects, in Anaheim, California. During this event, she will be formally recognized on stage where her citation, penned by Dr. Lemke, will be read aloud. Additionally, her name will be permanently listed on the GSA website, a testament to her lasting contributions to the field, as long as she remains a member of the organization.

This GSA Fellowship not only honors Dr. Sirbescu's significant scientific achievements but also underscores her dedication to mentoring the next generation of geoscientists. Her recognition by the GSA is a source of pride for Central Michigan University and an inspiration to her colleagues and students alike.