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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.
Lt. Larry Klaus named CMU police chief
by
Sanjna Jassi
Central Michigan University police Lt. Larry Klaus will be the university’s next chief of police.
Central Michigan University police Lt. Larry Klaus will be the university’s next chief of police.
Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services Barrie Wilkes chose Klaus to replace Chief Bill Yeagley, who announced his retirement in February. The university is working toward a smooth transition of leadership in
the coming weeks.
Klaus said he will maintain CMU’s focus on public safety through training and preparedness; partnerships with neighboring communities; and communication with CMU students, faculty and staff.
“Keeping our campus safe, that’s our priority,” he said. “I want to engage the campus community so there’s a better awareness of safety.”
Wilkes said Klaus is respected in the CMU Police Department and community for his leadership during previous high-profile events on campus and stood out among worthy candidates.
“We were proud to have such a strong pool of finalists for this position,” he said.
Klaus joined the CMU Police Department as a lieutenant in 2011, after 25 years with the Lansing Police Department.
At CMU, he is a member of the President's Title IX Advisory Board, Care Team, Threat Assessment Group, and the Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equity’s sexual assault response team.
“I am a team builder and passionate about CMU and our collaborative team approach to solving challenges and improving our campus community,” he said.
Klaus served on a regional committee that helped restore McLaren Central Michigan’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner program for the Mount Pleasant community. He also served on the Isabella County Community Mental Health task force and is a member of the county’s Mental Health Court Committee.
He received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University in 1985. His numerous certifications in policing tools and methods include certificates from MSU’s School of Staff and Command in 2009 and Gavin de Becker and Associates’ Advanced Threat Assessment and Management Academy in 2011.
He is a member of the nonprofit Michigan Association of Campus Law Enforcement Officers.
As chief, Klaus will lead a staff of 34 that includes 23 sworn officers. The department also has a number of student employees.
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.
