Start up
Build up your venture idea.
Learn more
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.
Honors Program launches official CMU Alumni Chapter
by
Jason Fielder
Central Michigan University Honors Program Alumni are thrilled to announce the formation of the CMU Honors Alumni Chapter, now officially recognized as a chapter within the CMU Alumni Association.
After over a year of dedicated effort, the Honors Alumni Chapter Board successfully drafted a constitution and bylaws, worked closely with key stakeholders, and rebuilt its group with more formal processes to create a more sustainable future.
“I'm so grateful for the hard work Honors alumni put into establishing the new Honors Alumni Chapter,” said Patty Williamson, Honors Program director. “It creates a great platform for mutual support, community-building, and reconnection with old friends.”
The Honors Alumni Chapter Board remained in communication with Williamson and historical members throughout its process, collaborating with the alumni association board of directors. There are currently seventeen Honors Alumni Board members, with the following serving in a leadership capacity:
- Laura Bantle (President)
- Megan Morris (Vice President)
- Rachel Brehmer (Secretary)
- Rick Peake (Current chair, Membership Committee, and incoming President)
- Mark Pelfrey (Chair, Scholarship Committee)
“Many Honors Program alumni credit the Honors Program with creating transformational academic and social experiences that they have continued to carry with them through life,” said Bantle. “They are very passionate about giving back to the Program and ensuring that current and future students have those same opportunities.”
A Mission of Engagement and Support
The Honors Alumni Board has long played a role in supporting the program, primarily through awarding scholarships and providing feedback. The new Honors Alumni Chapter is dedicated to continuing those initiatives while providing opportunities for alumni to stay involved with and give back to the Honors Program and its students. Key objectives include:
- Granting scholarships to current Honors students, a long-standing tradition of alumni involvement.
- Strengthening the alumni and student communities through social and networking events.
- Creating meaningful connections between alumni and current students through mentorship opportunities.
“Formalizing this chapter allows our tight-knit Honors alumni community to reconnect, serve, and invest in the next generation of Honors students,” said Peake.
Growing Engagement and Momentum
The chapter’s first in-person engagement opportunity was an Open House in Powers Hall during the 2024 Homecoming weekend. At this event, members connected with fellow alumni and recruited new participants.
In a demonstration of alumni enthusiasm, a recent social media call for volunteers to review 2025 Honors scholarship applications received an overwhelming response. Within 24 hours, the number of applications nearly doubled the available review slots.
Get Involved
Honors alumni looking to reconnect and contribute can engage with the chapter in several ways:
- Attend the Honors Alumni Chapter gathering at Homecoming 2025.
- Apply for a position on the Chapter’s Board of Directors: Apply Here
The Honors Alumni Chapter is excited for the future and invites all interested alumni to join in strengthening this growing network. Stay connected, stay involved, and help shape the future of the Honors Program!
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.
