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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.

      DECA gets down to business

      by Sanjna Jassi
      The Central Michigan University DECA chapter placed third in four events at the Michigan Collegiate DECA State Career Development Conference.

      ​The Central Michigan University DECA chapter won third place in four events at the Michigan Collegiate DECA State Career Development Conference in February.

      DECA, formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a business organization at the high school and collegiate levels that focuses on helping students develop essential business skills.

      CMU DECA president Savannah Fullmer, a senior majoring in marketing and business information systems, said the chapter focused on professional development during the fall semester and officially began preparing for the competition in November.

      cut-DECA

      At the conference, students chose to participate in events such as restaurant and food service management, marketing communications, corporate finance, and event planning. Depending on the event, students prepared written examinations, completed case statement preparation, engaged in role-playing simulations or gave oral presentations.

      Fifteen students representing CMU qualified to compete at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida, this April.

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      Questions?

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