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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.
Financial equity lunch to headline diversity symposium
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A panel on equitable financing in higher education will highlight the two-day 9th Annual CMU Diversity Symposium, dedicated to exploring diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging. This year’s symposium is built around the theme, “Embracing the ‘I’ in DEIJB.”
Four panelists will share their successes in securing funding for DEIJB initiatives at their organizations in “Equity-Minded Finance in Higher Education,” from 11 a.m. to noon on April 25 in the Bovee University Center Rotunda. The conversation will take place as the Vice Presidential Signature Session.
“The Vice-Presidential Signature Luncheon is intended to offer examples of best practices within diversity, equity, inclusion, justice and belonging work,” said Dr. Nikita Murry, Director of Diversity Education with the Office for Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “This session will offer examples of successful funding efforts and explore solutions to persistent barriers. It is significant that the primary participants are senior executives.”
“Since the Diversity Symposium is designed to appeal to multiple audiences, this panel discussion will reflect discussion drivers within higher education, community and the workforce.”
Dr. Shawna Patterson-Stephens, CMU Vice President for Inclusive Excellence & Belonging, will facilitate the dialogue. The panelists include Andreason Brown, Chief Financial Officer of the Spencer Foundation; David McGhee, Chief Executive Officer of The Steve Fund; Regina Sharma, Director of Development with the Detroit Justice Center; and Jesse Bernal, Chief of Staff/Chief Diversity Officer with Grand Valley State University.
A fireside chat with CMU President Bob Davies officially kicks off the symposium at 9 a.m. on April 24. A roundtable discussion, “Inclusion in Education,” hosted by Provost Nancy Matthews, starts the second day at 8:30 a.m.
The first day will also feature a keynote lunch presentation by Holiday Simmons, an Atlanta-based social worker with 20 years of experience in crisis response, conflict mediation and somatics with a social justice lens.
Both days will include multiple tracks of research-based presentations. All events are in the Rotunda and surrounding Terrace Rooms. People interested in attending are asked to register in advance.
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.
