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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 to remain open, welcome students back this fall

      by Sanjay Gupta
      Central Michigan University will remain open this fall, and many more face-to-face classes are scheduled and campus activities are anticipated.

      ​Throughout the past year, Central Michigan University was one of few higher education institutions that remained open and operational, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

      President Bob Davies said in an email to campus last week the university will remain open this fall, and many more face-to-face classes are scheduled and campus activities are anticipated.

      "Last fall, we set an ambitious goal to offer an on-campus, in-person learning environment for students because it is how many of our students learn best," Davies said. "Our campus community not only adapted well but excelled, despite numerous challenges. This fall on campus will only be more successful and vibrant."

      Davies said that more than 75% of CMU's currently scheduled fall courses have a face-to-face component. More than half are entirely face-to-face, while an additional 26% include strong in-person components through HyFlex and Hybrid course modalities.

      Of the courses being offered entirely face-to-face, most are at capacity constraints under current COVID-19 protocols.

      "This tells us our students want in-person options, and everyone at CMU is Fired Up to make it happen," Davies said. "As we continue to follow health and safety protocols, these course modalities are subject to change and we may be able to have even more students in the class."

      Fall 2021 semester classes begin Aug. 30, and CMU's first-ever fall wellness break is scheduled for Oct. 11-12. 

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      Questions?

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