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 videos shine in competition

by Sanjay Gupta

Videos showcasing CMU’s Fire Up for Excellence Campaign are winning big in national and international creative competitions.

Videos showcasing CMU's Fire Up for Excellence Campaign are winning big in national and international creative competitions.

A video celebrating the College of Science and Engineering's Baja racing team received a platinum award, the highest honor possible, in the international MarCom Awards. A video about CMU's Covenant HealthCare Simulation Center in Saginaw, Michigan, won a MarCom gold award.

Earlier this year, a Fire Up campaign kickoff video narrated by the late CMU alum and sportscaster Dick Enberg won a Telly Award as best general fundraising video not for broadcast.

The videos are the work of CMU alum Scott Nadeau's Dexter, Michigan, production company Video & Internet Stuff, in collaboration with CMU Advancement.

"CMU is competing against the best firms and universities in the world and winning," said Bob Martin, vice president of advancement.

The MarCom Awards recognize creative achievement in marketing and communications. Awards are administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

The international Telly Awards, honoring excellence in video and television, are judged by leaders from video platforms, television, streaming networks, agencies, and production companies including Vice, Vimeo, Hearst Digital Media and BuzzFeed.

A Fire Up For Excellence campaign video brochure also recently won a Council for Advancement and Support of Education District V gold award for excellence in design. District V covers Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Jennifer Cotter, executive director of advancement and campaign, and Martin will receive the CASE award Dec. 11 at the CASE V regional conference in Chicago.