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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.

      Provost appoints EHS dean

      by Sanjna Jassi
      Provost Mary Schutten names Betty Kirby dean of CMU’s College of Education and Human Services.

      Central Michigan University Executive Vice President/Provost Mary C. Schutten has named Elizabeth “Betty” Kirby dean of the College of Education and Human Services. Kirby’s appointment was effective July 1, 2019.

      mug-2012-785-06-Betty-Kirby-EHSKirby has been serving as interim dean since July 1, 2018, and previously served as acting dean in 2016-2017. She previously served as senior associate dean of the college and director of professional education.

      This month marks Kirby’s 15th anniversary with CMU. She joined CMU as a faculty member in the educational leadership department in 2004 and then served as chair of the department before being named associate dean of EHS in 2012 and senior associate dean/director of professional education in 2014.

      Kirby earned her doctoral degree in education and master’s degree in reading from CMU and also holds a bachelor’s degree from Drake University. She is active in teacher education at the state level, including involvement with the Michigan Department of Education and the Michigan Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

      As dean, Kirby will continue to lead all operations of the College of Education and Human Services — which is composed of several academic departments and institutes — and provide leadership for all undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs within the college. She also will serve on the Council of Deans, Academic Senate and Academic Planning Council.

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