Start up
Build up your venture idea.
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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's College of Science and Engineering named University Partner of the Year
by
Robert Wang
We are thrilled to share exciting news from Central Michigan University's College of Science and Engineering. The Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) recently honored us as the University Partner of the Year for our outstanding collaboration with the Girls in Engineering Academy (GEA). This award is given to an organizational partner who has gone above and beyond, and we are deeply proud to be recognized in this way.
Our journey with the GEA program has been incredibly rewarding. In the summer of 2023, we hosted two cohorts of high school girls, and in the summer of 2024, we welcomed another cohort. These young women had the opportunity to engage in immersive STEM education both on our main campus and at the Biological Station on Beaver Island. This marks a significant milestone as it’s the first time a university outside of southeast Michigan has hosted a GEA cohort, and it’s also the first instance where GEA students have experienced authentic biological fieldwork through the program.
This partnership with ESD is a testament to our commitment to empowering young women, historically marginalized in STEM fields. The GEA program is transformative, encouraging middle and high school girls to embrace their brilliance through hands-on, project-based STEM exploration. At CMU, we contribute to this mission by offering unique educational experiences that integrate our strengths in engineering and technology, freshwater research, coastal wetland ecology, and even fashion design. Moreover, the program provides our college students invaluable opportunities to serve as instructors and campus mentors, fostering their growth in teaching and leadership.
“I can confidently say that the GEA program is one of the most impactful initiatives I have encountered in my nearly 30 years in academia – the program is technically strong while being fun and building a sense of belonging,” said Dr. David Ford, Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at CMU. "Our collaboration with GEA is a shining example of our dedication to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice within the College of Science and Engineering."
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.
