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.

Learn more

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.

Learn more

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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First-ever 'Supper Club' fosters conversation, connection

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Central Michigan University has unveiled its latest innovative dining initiative, Supper Club, to reimagine campus dining in partnership with CMU Dining, part of Chartwells Higher Education. This first-of-its-kind program introduces an elevated dining experience on campus, uniting students for memorable meals that blend sophistication with nostalgia and foster engaging conversations and meaningful connections.

Supper Club is designed to connect students through unparalleled dining experiences. At Supper Club, the Merrill Virtual Food Hall club room has been transformed into a unique dining ambiance customized for CMU’s students and their interests. Students have the option to gather around communal tables where they can share meals and conversation in a family-style setting. Dining associates act as “hosts,” engaging with students in a whole new way with dried flowers, cloth napkins, and elegant decor to emulate an elevated dining experience.

Students dressed in fancy clothes sit at a table enjoying a fine dining experience.

"Supper Club is just one of the many ways that CMU Dining strives to create unique, engaging dining experiences for students,” said Tyson Dubay, Resident District Manager, CMU Dining. “Through this program, we’re providing students with not only a variety of menu options, but also an opportunity to meet new people and foster meaningful connections."

Research shows Gen Z is the most nostalgic generation of all, craving the cultural phenomena and trends of the past in the modern day. This desire brought Chartwells Higher Education’s Supper Club concept to life, which offers flexible programming tailored to the needs of CMU’s campus community.

"Our commitment to enhancing student life goes beyond providing nourishment; it’s about creating memorable moments of joy and connection through food," says Eva Wojtalewski, CEO of Chartwells Higher Education. "Supper Club not only elevates dining experiences in new and unique ways but also celebrates the communal spirit of college life, bringing students together to savor delicious food, experience something fresh yet nostalgic, and forge lasting friendships."

A CMU dining chef cuts into a some food, preparing to serve it at a fine dining event.

Piloted this fall, Supper Club offers an enticing array of culinary themes, including Italian Fine Dining and Asian Fusion, with menus curated by Chartwells’ culinarians to cater to a diverse range of palates. Events at Supper Club will include live music, mocktail bars, tableside demonstrations, partnerships with student groups, and engaging conversations enriching campus life and fostering a sense of community.

Supper Club represents Chartwells’ and CMU’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the student experience through innovative dining solutions.

Students dressed in fancy clothes stand in front of a maroon and gold backdrop, posing for a professional group photo.