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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.
College of Medicine dean announces leadership transition
by
Ari Harris
Dr. George Kikano, executive vice president for health affairs and dean of the CMU College of Medicine, has announced plans to step down from his leadership position at the university. CMU President Neil MacKinnon said he is working with Dr. Kikano on a leadership transition plan.
“Dr. Kikano has been a tremendous champion for the CMU College of Medicine over the past decade, and we are grateful for his many contributions to the field of medicine and his support for our students, faculty and staff,” MacKinnon said. Dr. Kikano joined the CMU community in April 2015 as dean of the CMU College of Medicine. In 2018, he accepted an additional appointment as vice president for health affairs, becoming executive vice president for health affairs in 2024. During his ten-year tenure, the college achieved many notable successes, including:
- Growth in the number of student applicants to the CMU College of Medicine, with more than 8,000 students applying annually.
- High match rates for College of Medicine students, including a 100% match rate in 2024.
- Increased research funding and scholarly output among College of Medicine faculty members, as well as increased private philanthropic support.
- Establishment of the CMU Rural Health Equity Institute, which seeks to expand access to health care in rural and underserved communities, and the Women and Children’s Center in Saginaw.
- Achieving LCME (Liaison Committee on Medical Education) accreditation, showing commitment to the highest standards of medical education.
- Growing and strengthening CMU’s clinical affiliations with health care providers in key markets, including the Great Lakes Bay region and in Detroit.
President MacKinnon said he is working with Dr. Kikano on the timeline for this leadership transition and has appointed Tina Thompson, Ph.D., currently senior associate dean for academic affairs, to serve as interim dean of the College of Medicine sometime later this year.
Thompson joined CMU in July 2017 and has oversight of the undergraduate medical education (UME) program, as well as student affairs and admissions. Prior to joining CMU, she was a professor and senior associate dean of academic affairs at the Mercer University School of Medicine, where she also served as director of assessment and evaluation, and as the neurology course director for 10 years. Thompson’s areas of expertise include medical school accreditation and assessment, and she brings more than 30 years of medical education experience to the role.
The university will quickly launch a national search for the next leader of the College of Medicine, MacKinnon said. CMU will release a request for proposal for search firms interested in supporting the search, and the president will appoint a search committee that will include CMU College of Medicine faculty, staff, students and community partners.
“CMU’s College of Medicine has an outstanding national reputation, and we are committed to maintaining the highest quality medical education, training and research,” MacKinnon said. “We will work closely with our health care partners, community partners and, of course, our faculty and staff, to ensure the continued strength and growth of the College.”
As part of the leadership transition, MacKinnon said that CMU also would pause its plans to consider external partners for the CMU campus health clinics. He said he is meeting with providers and staff from University Health Services to discuss the leadership change and clinical operations.
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.
