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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Research funding up 48 percent in new record

by User Not Found

Central Michigan University’s Office of Research and Graduate Studies set a record in raising research-related funds, topping the old mark by 48 percent.

ORGS raised $38 million during the fiscal year that ended June 30. It was also the third straight year that CMU raised more than $25 million in grants and contracts, said Bradley Swanson, interim vice president for research and innovation.

“These funds will significantly enhance student research, creative endeavors and educational experiences as well as increase CMU’s reputation nationally and internationally,” Swanson said.

Among the projects receiving the most money were:

$15 million from the Michigan Department of Education for the College of Education and Human Service’s MiCAREER Resource Hub, awarded to Paula Lancaster, dean of the college, and Jillian Davidson
$4 million to continue the College of Science and Engineering’s Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program, awarded to Donald Uzarski, Thomas Gehring, Matthew Cooper and Dennis Albert
$990,000 for Removing barriers to institutional success for Women in STEM at CMU, awarded to Tracy Galarowicz, assistant dean for the College of Science and Engineering; Katrinia Pietek-Jimenez, faculty in CSE’s mathematics department; Kimberly Prewett and Kirsten Weber, faculty of the College of the Arts and Media’s communication, journalism & media department.

In total, CEHS brought in $15.9 million, CSE brought in $11.8 million, the College of Medicine brought in $6 million, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions brought in $797,000, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences brought in $299,000 and CAM brought in $5,000. Other units combined for an additional $3 million.