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.

Learn more

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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Serving up in style and sustainability at the VIP fashion reception

by Kathleen Hodgkins

Mount Pleasant, MI — On Saturday, April 12, students from Central Michigan University’s NDS 261 Foodservice Catering for Events course brought their skills to the spotlight during the VIP Reception for the annual CMU Threads Fashion Show. The foodservice portion of the event, hosted in partnership with Creative Dining Services, showcased the students’ creativity, professionalism, and focus on health-conscious, sustainable hospitality.

Under the guidance of Chef Lo Waters, Chef Manager at Creative Dining Services, students developed and served a curated selection of delicious and nutritious hors d'oeuvres designed to impress. Through collaborative brainstorming sessions, the team crafted a menu that balanced elegance with wellness, featuring highlights such as potato dauphinoise, fig and brie crostini, beef tenderloin crostini, assorted mini macaroons, and a gelato action station.

To support CMU’s commitment to sustainability, the students chose to serve all items on eco-friendly bamboo service ware, offering guests an elevated yet environmentally responsible experience.

Throughout the evening, students butler-passed hors d'oeuvres to over 100 guests, showcasing both exceptional service and their dedication to sustainable food practices.

Dr. Jeff Fisher, professor for NDS 261, praised the students’ efforts, “This event gave our students a real-world opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in a high-profile setting. Their professionalism, creativity, and collaboration with Chef Waters truly exemplified what CMU is all about.”

The successful reception not only elevated the pre-show experience but also offered students an immersive look into event catering, foodservice logistics, and customer service—key elements of their future careers in event planning.

To learn more about the Nutrition and Dietetics program and course offerings, please contact program director Dr. Najat Yehia at yahia1n@cmich.edu. For information about NDS 261 or the Nutrition minor, please contact Dr. Jeff Fisher at fishe2jj@cmich.edu.