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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.

      Meet finalists for Financial Services and Reporting leader

      by User Not Found
      The Central Michigan University community is invited to meet the two finalists for the position of associate vice president for financial services and reporting and controller.

      This position serves as the administrator for matters pertaining to financial activities for the university, including administrative oversight and leadership of an executive team of professionals that together lead the operation and strategic direction of the university’s finance-related service units.

      The associate vice president exercises authority to plan, develop, implement and enforce policies and objectives of the financial and accounting functions of the university, including investments. Additional responsibilities include providing administration, operation and direction for university contracts, purchasing, logistics operations, risk management, insurance programs, and environmental health and safety operations.

      The search committee, assisted by CMU’s human resources team and the Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equity, has invited two candidates to attend open forums on campus next week. 

      Members of the CMU community are encouraged to attend the following sessions:

      Jill Thompson
      1 p.m., Monday, April 24
      Lake St. Clair Room 309, Bovee University Center

      Thompson currently serves as finance director for a governmental agency in Grand Rapids. In this position, Thompson provides technical expertise and leadership for the financial operations of the organization, including accounting, claims and reimbursement, general ledger, accounts payable and accounts receivable, purchasing, treasury functions, financial reporting, compliance and more. Thompson’s prior roles include accounting manager at her current employer, regional controller for Gill Industries, Inc., controller at American Seating Co., two senior roles at Dow Chemical Co., and assurance senior associate at Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

      Thompson is a certified public accountant and earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and an MBA at CMU. 

      Julie Montross
      1 p.m., Tuesday, May 2
      Lake St. Clair Room 309, Bovee University Center 

      Montross currently serves as interim associate vice president for financial services and reporting at CMU, and previously was associate controller for financial services and reporting. In these roles, Montross supervised staff responsible for the university’s accounting activity, including SAP financial structure master data management, financial transaction entry and annual upgrade testing to maintain the financial integrity of the ERP system. Montross oversees the university’s annual financial audit, including coordination with external auditors, and successfully implemented new Governmental Accounting Standards Board pronouncements. Montross’ prior roles include manager of business operations in CMU’s College of Science and Engineering, SAP financial systems analyst and accountant for CMU accounting services, business services manager and grants coordinator for White Hat Management, contract analyst for The Center for Charter Schools, a principal financial analyst for Exelon Corporation, and senior sales consultant for Oracle Corporation. 

      Montross earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science from Kalamazoo College and an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

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