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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Comeback for Coach Kramer

by Sanjna Jassi

2018 homecoming will feature the football legend as grand marshal.

Tally another win for Central Michigan University football coaching legend Roy Kramer.

Kramer has been chosen to lead CMU's 2018 homecoming celebration in October as grand marshal.

Kramer served as head coach from 1967-77. His marquee season came in 1974 as the Chippewas won the NCAA Division II national championship. Kramer was named Division II National Coach of the Year as his squad went 12-1 that season on their way to the title.

Plan to celebrate

Homecoming weekend is Oct. 5-6, with CMU hosting Buffalo on that Saturday in Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The game time will be set 12 days in advance per Mid-American Conference TV rules. Tickets are on sale at Ticket Central in the John G. Kulhavi Events Center or by calling 888-347-3872.

"The name Roy Kramer is synonymous with victory at CMU," said Bob Martin, vice president for advancement, "so we're naturally excited to welcome him back to campus on a weekend that celebrates our winning tradition."

Kramer led CMU to a pair of Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, in 1967 and 1968, and finished his career at Central with a record of 83-32-2. He coached four All-Americans, eight Academic All-Americans and 38 first-team all-conference players. Kramer was inducted into the Marcy Weston Central Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.

Michael Alford, associate vice president and director of athletics, said Kramer had a tremendous impact at Central and was a transformational figure in college athletics.

"He led a special group of young men to the lone national title in CMU history, but his greatest impact may have been his efforts to elevate us to a Division I institution," Alford said. "He understood the university-wide impact that this move would have and was key in negotiating our entrance into the Mid-American Conference."

A native of Maryville, Tennessee, Kramer left CMU for Tennessee's Vanderbilt University in 1978 and served as the athletics director for 12 years. As commissioner of the Southeastern Conference from 1990-2002, he expanded the league from 10 to 12 members and created the SEC Football Championship Game — the first in college football. He also is known as the creator of the Bowl Championship Series, college football's first postseason structure to crown a national champion.