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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.
Public health programs earn accreditation
by
Sanjna Jassi
CMU’s public health undergraduate and master’s programs earn accreditation.
Central Michigan University’s public health programs have received five-year accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health.
“Having our undergraduate public health education major and Master of Public Health programs accredited for five years assures students that their education has met the high standards of quality that will separate them from other programs in Michigan and across the nation,” said Tom Masterson, dean of The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions.
The Council on Education for Public Health is the only U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting body for public health schools and programs. To be accredited, schools must show they provide the highest quality of education possible and can ensure academic excellence so students will achieve solid employment upon graduation.
The undergraduate major is designed to prepare students for a number of health careers, from community-based organizations to private health agencies, hospitals and government. The master’s program equips graduates to be leaders in such areas as public health policy, planning, management and research.
Statistics show that graduates will have jobs awaiting them. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of health educators and community health workers is projected to grow 11 percent from 2018 to 2028.
The timing of the accreditation couldn’t be better because it followed the Board of Trustees adoption in September of a 10-year strategy called “Rigor, Relevance and Excellence,” said Dr. Jeff Inungu, director of the MPH program.
One of the pillars of the strategy is to enhance CMU's academic quality and environment with renewed commitment to rigor, relevance and excellence in curricular and cocurricular activities.
“We were confident that those who started in the MPH program would graduate from an accredited program, and they have. It is so exciting to see what we’ve accomplished in such a short time,” said Jodi Brookins-Fisher, public health division director in the School of Health Sciences.
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.
