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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!
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.
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Are you interested in becoming an entrepreneur?
Every journey is unique. Explore the opportunities that interest you.
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
Students compete to win cash prizes at the New Venture Challenge
by
Kaye Reimers
Flexible cleats, chip dispensers and a rural healthcare nonprofit were a few of the 40 new ventures pitched at the New Venture Challenge last Friday, April 19 at Central Michigan University. CMU senior Lawai’a Brown took home the top high growth award and the overall award with his venture, Dominator Cleats for a total of $20,000.
During the day, fifty-five esteemed judges descended on campus to determine who would win over $100,000 in total awards and which lucky venture would walk away with the $20,000 for the overall best venture award. The top nine teams in the full presentation categories of Main Street, Social Mission and High Growth, presented a 10-minute pitch on their business in French Auditorium. A panel of judges offered feedback and asked tough questions. Meanwhile, over in the Bioscience Atrium, 30 venture teams pitched to judges in the 2-minute Elevator Pitch competition. The top six elevator pitch teams went on to a final round in French Auditorium.
NVC 2024 also marked the introduction of a new competition category called Alternative Entrepreneurial Pathways powered by Doug Parker, as well as several new prizes. Teams had the chance to snag up to $5,000 each with the Campus Impact, Doug Parker Rural Impact and Bob Larson Creativity awards.
After the full presentation and elevator pitches concluded, over 300 guests headed to the Bioscience Atrium to enjoy a strolling dinner and to view the presenting student teams and creative student projects in the venture gallery and innovation showcase. Over 100 student entrepreneurs networked with industry leaders and entrepreneurs. The showcase included student-designed clothes from Threads Fashion Show, a student-run record company, a student-built race car and student-created videogames and animated shows. The audience voted on their favorite displays in both the venture gallery and innovation showcase.
Emotions ran high in the awards ceremony, as student teams waited to hear who would walk away with top cash prizes of the night. Overall venture winner Lawai'a Brown said, " I had a great experience at the NVC. I was able to meet so many successful people that shared a lot of great insights and feedback. It was a great environment to be in. It really embodied the strong culture of CMUs family. Even though it was a competition, the support we had to each other was incredible. Everyone wanted the best for each other's venture."
Congratulations to all competitors!
NVC Overall Winner
The Morey Overall Best Venture $10,000 - Dominator Cleats, Lawai'a Brown
NVC Full Presentation Winning Ventures
High Growth Category
The Korson Family Highest Growth Potential $10,000 - Dominator Cleats, Lawai'a Brown
The Reed Family 2nd Place $5,000 – Buff Co., AJ Kostic
Kristie Nystedt 3rd Place $2,000 – CHXPT, Rocio Costilla & Marisa Lopez
Main Street Category
Kulhavi Top Main Street $10,000 – HappyPets, Maxwell Grubaugh
Isabella Bank 2nd Place $5,000 – Tides & Tiaras, Alina Krasinski
Clyde and Jessica Rucker 3rd Place $2,000 - Northwoods Music, Jacob Mcleod
Social Mission Category
Best Social Mission $10,000 – Atti Naomis Foundation, Omomoemi Agbegha
2nd Place Social Mission $5,000 - Lead You Home, David Abilez
3rd Place Social Mission $2,000 - SustainaBowl, Meenakshi Cheella
Alternative Entrepreneurial Pathways Winner
Doug Parker Alternative Entrepreneurial Pathways Award $5,000 - Restoration 1 Detroit, Gavin Kushmaul
Special Award Winners
Bob Larson Creativity Award $5,000- The Roxie, Mela Hammond
Doug Parker Rural Impact Award $5,000- Tides & Tiaras, Alina Krasinski
Campus Impact Award $5,000- College Coffee Co., Nicholas O’Brien
Skornicka Accounting Services Award in-kind- Northwoods Music, Jacob Mcleod
Middle Michigan Development Corporation Investor Award $2,000 and in-kind- Star Leaf Botanicals, Ian Becker
Venture Gallery Winners
Top Venture Gallery $4,000 - Lead You Home, David Abeliz
Team Financial Group, Inc. 2nd Place $2,000 - Crcl, Derek Ballas & Joshua Lim
3rd Place Venture Gallery $1,000 - Mane Attraction Retail, Mackenzie Good
(2) Brenda & Dennis Buckler Honorable Mention of $250 each- PolarFlex, Mitchell Metiva | Rasegan Outdoor Company, Robert Rasegan
Elevator Pitch Winners
1st Place Elevator Pitch $4,000 - Edgewater Estate Management, Trevor Shuman
2nd Place Elevator Pitch $2,000 – The Roxie, Mela Hammond
3rd Place Elevator Pitch $1,000 – Porta-Wall, Markus Shannon
(3) Honorable Mention Elevator Pitch of $250 each – K-Temp, Kenneth Tate | Raygun Digital Media, Justin Miller | MapScratched, Carolina Hernandez-Ruiz
Audience Choice Winners
Greg & Sue Cocke Top Venture Gallery $1,000 - CHXPT, Rocio Costilla & Marisa Lopez
Team Financial Group, Inc. Top Innovation Showcase $1,000 - Threads Fashion Show
Team Financial Group, Inc. Runner-Up Venture Gallery $500 – SustainaBowl, Meenakshi Cheella
Team Financial Group, Inc. Runner-Up Innovation Showcase $500 – Chippewa Racing FSAE, Nathan Holder, Alec Reilly, Nolan Mango, Matthew Wakulsky, Temirlan Jandaliyev, Breckin Prichard, Kyle Kieser, Ethan Williams, Williams Lyons.
