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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.
Gala’s new location creates bridge-building opportunity
by
Eric Baerren
The Campus Diversity Gala proved so popular that organizers needed to find a new home. The one they found allows them to connect with the Mount Pleasant community in a new way.
This year’s gala will take place from 7 p.m. until midnight on Friday, April 4, at the PohlCat Golf Course, 6595 E. Airport Road, in Mount Pleasant.
“The CMU Diversity Gala has always served as a unifying event since its inception,” said Nikita Murry, director of diversity education for the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “It is a time to bring together everyone who works in some way to make CMU a place where everyone can find their unique place.
“This year is no different. We will celebrate CMU's contributions toward building strong bridges throughout the region as they pertain to scholarship, leadership and service.”
The event will mark those bridges built through dinner, dance and community networking.
“what's great about this event is that it allows CMU students and the general public to make personal rather than transactional connections,” Murry said. “The event opens the door to experiencing one another in a way that can be personally meaningful.”
The presentation of several awards recognizing success in CMU’s mission of fostering inclusion and contributions to social justice and meaningful change is a highlight of the event.
A highlight of those awards is the Dr. Diane E. Newby Award for Inclusive Excellence in Education, given to a faculty member whose work embraces CMU’s diversity principles.
The other awards include
- Stan Shingles Award for Distinction in Mentorship, which recognizes someone who created a nurturing learning environment
- Provost’s Award for Exemplary Research and Scholarship, which recognizes research focused on equity, belonging and social justice
- Innovation in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Award, which recognizes creative contributions to CMU’s inclusion initiatives through curriculum, programming or co-curricular activities
- Outstanding Social Justice Leadership in Community Service Award (individual and group), which recognizes a commitment to civic engagement and impact through social justice initiatives.
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.
