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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 students transforming Mt. Pleasant parks

      by Robert Wang

      In a show of teamwork and creativity, students from Central Michigan University are reshaping the user experience within Mt. Pleasant City Parks. Led by Benjamin Heumann, a professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, these students have come up with fresh ways to make park navigation easier, learning more fun, and visits more engaging.

      Under Professor Heumann's guidance, the students took on the challenge laid out by Philip Biscorner, the Director of Parks and Public Spaces for the City of Mt. Pleasant. They didn't just map out the parks; they dove into them, using Geographic Information Systems to gather essential information. Then, armed with their findings, they got creative, brainstorming and sketching up new signs to fit the parks' vibe just right.

      Their brainstorming led to three types of signs. First up, "main park signs" which aim to welcome visitors with comprehensive maps, park rules, and connections to the broader Mt. Pleasant community and the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe. Second, "trail junction signs" to aid users in navigating within the parks while offering valuable educational insights. Finally, "trail markers" will serve a crucial safety function, enabling users to communicate their location effectively in case of emergencies.

      The innovative students recently presented their strategies to Philip Biscorner at city hall. Their vision promises to revolutionize the parks system.

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