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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Rothaus named interim CMU provost

by Heather Smith

Central Michigan University President Bob Davies announced today the appointment of Richard Rothaus, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, as interim provost. He will assume the role Jan. 1, 2022, following the departure of current provost Mary C. Schutten, who announced she would step down effective Dec. 31, 2021.

"Dean Rothaus is a well-respected leader within his college and throughout the university," CMU President Bob Davies said. "He is a strong communicator who has taken on and effectively handled tough challenges, and I am confident he will champion shared governance and provide critical leadership to our continued strategic focus on enrollment and budget planning." Rothaus joined CMU in August 2018 from the North Dakota University System, where he served as vice chancellor of academic and student affairs for the entire state system, which includes 11 colleges and universities. He also served NDUS as director of academic programs, research and accreditation from 2014-2015.

Rothaus also spent five years on the president's cabinet at St. Cloud State University as assistant vice president for research.

In addition to his administrative positions, Rothaus served as a research associate at NDSU's Center for Heritage Renewal. He also acted as a consulting archeologist for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe from 2006-2014 and as president and principal investigator for Trefoil Cultural and Environmental from 2008-2014.

"Relationship building and communication will be a critical focus of mine as I move into this role," Rothaus said. "I look forward to working with the faculty, students and staff across campus to tackle challenges and act on opportunities."

A nationwide search for CMU's new provost began last month with the appointment of a 25-member search committee, chaired by Betty Kirby, interim dean of the College of the Arts and Media.