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.

2025 NVC Competition Live Stream

2025 NVC Awards Live Stream

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.

A student standing with a faculty member holding big winning checks from the New Venture Challenge 2024.

Start up

Build up your venture idea.

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A student smiling and standing in front of his venture display at the 2024 New Venture Challenge.

Family business

Explore the Alternative Entrepreneurial Pathways category at NVC.

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A close-up of the Prusa i3 MK3 printer in the entrepreneurship makerspace, the IDEA Den in Grawn Hall 166.

Product and prototype design

Create and patent your ideas.

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Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

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Provost Lancaster announces search for Vice President of CMU Innovation and Online

by Erica Peters

Paula Lancaster, Provost and Executive Vice President of Central Michigan University Provost, has announced the national search for the university’s next vice president of CMU Innovation and Online.

Lancaster has appointed a search committee chaired by David Patton, Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Curricular Affairs. The search committee will play a crucial role in the selection of the next vice president. Members of the search committee are:

Brian Bell, Director, Student Account Services and University Billing
Katie Bollman, Director, Online Student Services
Tracy Galarowicz, Interim Dean, College of Science and Engineering
Troy Hicks, Acting Associate Dean, College of Education and Human Services
Sanjay Kumar, Associate Dean, College of Business Administration
James Larson, Director, Transfer Outreach and Community College Relations
Evan Montague, Executive Director, Student Success and Academic Advising
Brooke Moore, Director, Instructional Development
David Patton, Senior Vice Provost for Academic and Curricular Affairs, committee chair
Erica Peters, Executive Assistant to the Provost

The vice president is responsible for providing visionary leadership and strategic direction of all aspects of off-campus and online programs and working collaboratively with university offices and academic departments to support the development, delivery, and expansion of online and distance programs. The vice president builds momentum for new and innovative ideas to support online and distance learners, community partnerships, and connections with industry.

“The team in IO has accomplished so much since its inception, building upon CMU’s successful history of providing access to opportunities for online and distance education. I look forward to elevating this important work, through this search,” Provost Lancaster said.

Kaleb Patrick currently serves as the Interim Vice President, a role he has held since January 1, 2024. The search for the next vice president will be conducted throughout 2025 and will be assisted by Dr. Jim Johnsen and Dr. Ann Bailey with Greenwood/Asher & Associates.

Several virtual listening sessions will be organized with Johnsen and Bailey to allow stakeholders to share their thoughts about the qualities and attributes of the next vice president, challenges and opportunities they may encounter in this role, and points of pride about CMU. Once finalized, the details of these listening sessions will be shared as a separate announcement and available on the Provost’s website.