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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.

      Memorial Service to Honor Emeritus Professor of Sociology

      by Sarah Buckley

      Image of Larry T. Reynolds wearing a white hat and blue and white shirt while speaking into a microphone.Friends, colleagues, and former students are invited to remember, celebrate, and honor the life of Emeritus Professor of Sociology Larry T. Reynolds Saturday, May 18 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Central Michigan University Bovee University Center Rotunda.

      Reynolds died October 30, 2023, in Grand Rapids. He taught Sociology courses at CMU from 1971-1999.

      His family notes: “As we gather to remember, celebrate, and honor the life of Larry Reynolds, we welcome all who were impacted by his formidable intellect, unwavering friendship, and distinct presence to share their candid recollections, stories, and insights into his profound influence.”

      Guests are encouraged to wear over-the-top outfits or accessories to pay homage to the loud and proud attire Reynolds loved to wear.

      Among Reynolds honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Michigan Sociological Association in 2022 accompanied by a special acknowledgement from Governor Gretchen Whitmer. In 2006, the Michigan Sociological Association established its highest teacher award in his name and presented the inaugural award to Reynolds.

      Please visit the Michigan Sociological Association website to read a tribute to his life and the impact he had on others.

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      Questions?

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