Back to Main Menu

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.

      Interior design student receives nationwide design scholarship

      by Claire Doty

      Central Michigan University senior Hannah Keim was announced as a 2024 recipient of the Diversity in Design Pipeline Initiative, presented by Thermador and Interior Design Society (IDS). As a recipient, she will receive a tailored, year-long mentorship program with highly acclaimed interior design professionals, IDS membership, and a $10,000 scholarship.

      Keim is one of only five students to receive this award in 2024! She is currently working towards a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from CMU and is described by others as a driven and ambitious student with a passion for interior design who has maintained an impressive 4.0 GPA.

      “I am deeply honored to receive this incredible opportunity to advance my design career and gain mentorship from talented design professionals,” says Keim. “My success is a testament to the exceptional education I have received at CMU and the wonderful design professors who have guided and inspired me. I look forward to making the most of this opportunity as I pursue a career in design.”

      Thermador created this initiative in 2021, which focuses on fostering inclusion in the design community by launching Interior Design students with diverse perspectives into the competitive design industry.

      Events

      VIEW ALL EVENTS
      VIEW ALL EVENTS

       

      View our programming newsletter

      Entrepreneurship News

      Questions?

      Contact the team