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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.

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.

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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 researcher exploring the future of battery technology

by Robert Wang

Dr. Brad Fahlman, a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Central Michigan University, is leading research that could change the way we power electric vehicles and other battery-driven technologies. With new funding secured, his team is focusing on metal-sulfur batteries—specifically lithium-sulfur (Li-S) and aluminum-sulfur (Al-S) batteries—which have the potential to store far more energy than today’s lithium-ion batteries.

“These batteries could offer six to ten times more energy density than what we currently use,” Dr. Fahlman explained. “That means EVs could travel much farther on a single charge, and since fewer battery packs would be needed, the overall weight of the vehicle could be significantly reduced.”

Safety and cost are also big factors. Aluminum-sulfur batteries, in particular, could be a much safer alternative while also being more affordable, making them a promising option for the future. But one of the biggest challenges with metal-sulfur batteries is improving their lifespan. While lithium-ion batteries can last for tens of thousands of charge cycles, lithium-sulfur batteries currently degrade after only 200 cycles. The research team is working to change that by developing catalysts that improve battery stability and efficiency.

Along with Dr. Veronica Barone and Dr. Valeri Petkov from the Department of Physics at CMU, Dr. Fahlman’s team includes undergraduate students Ben Seltin (Senior), Kyle Kilbarger (Sophomore), and Isaac Boakye (Freshman), as well as M.S. student Carlos Chavez and postdoctoral researchers Al Yazdani, Jyoti Pandey, and Mukesh Singh.

Beyond better performance, these batteries could also be a more sustainable option. Unlike lithium, which requires intensive mining, aluminum and sulfur are much more abundant and easier to source. That makes these batteries not just more powerful, but also better for the environment.

For CMU, this research is an opportunity to drive innovation, gain recognition in advanced energy storage, and potentially lead to patents and new sources of revenue. But in the bigger picture, Dr. Fahlman’s work could help shape the future of battery technology—making electric vehicles safer, more efficient, and more accessible for everyone.