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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 researchers dive into Bolivian water woes
by
Robert Wang
When whispers of poor water quality reached Central Michigan University's ears, there was no hesitating. With Itzel Marquez from the School of Engineering and Technology leading the charge, Marquez and CMU undergraduate Maxwell Hornak (with support faculty from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and The Department of Philosophy, Anthropology and Religion) geared up for an expedition to Copacabana, Bolivia.
Their mission? To unravel the mysteries behind the questionable water quality. Armed with samples and fueled by determination, the team conducted initial tests, hinting at a deeper problem that begged for further exploration.
Touching down in Bolivia, they hit the ground running, conducting field tests to size up the situation firsthand. But, alas, the lack of proper lab gear meant they had to pack up some samples for a more detailed analysis back at CMU.
"One of our own sounded the alarm about water quality in Copacabana," shared Hornak. "So, we grabbed our gear, dove into the issue, and are gearing up to share our findings far and wide."
Their findings? Eye-opening, to say the least. The water wasn't just murky; it was rife with challenges like hardness, total dissolved solids, and chloride ions. Working hand in hand with local water treatment plant crews, they cracked open a treasure trove of insights, prompting them to widen their research horizons.
In a heartwarming twist, the team joined forces with CMU chemistry faculty member Dr. Dale Lecaptain's startup, H2OQ, to arm a local school with water quality analysis tools. It wasn't just about solving problems; it was about empowering the next generation to be stewards of their environment.
As Hornak put it, "The best part? Immersing ourselves in Bolivian culture. From living with locals to savoring their cuisine, it wasn't just about science; it was about forging connections and sharing experiences."
Now back at CMU, they're itching to dive into the data, with plans to tackle solutions to the area’s water woes. Their journey may have ended, but the impact? That's just beginning.
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.
