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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.
University Communications wins platinum, gold, silver
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Using humor to break through the noise of traditional higher education marketing campaigns continues to net Central Michigan University’s University “We Do” brand campaign awards, this time in national competitions.
CMU’s brand campaign won two platinum 2024 Hermes Creative Awards and two Silver Stevie Awards from The American Business Awards. One of the Stevie judges cited the campaign’s creative way of reaching its target audience.
“I love everything about this,” the judge wrote. “Breaking through the noise using knowledge of your audience, focusing on humor for what can be a typically-serious topic, it all worked so well together and got great results. Nice job!”
The Silver Stevie Awards were in the Branded Content Campaign of the Year and Marketing Disruptor of the Year categories. CMU was the only university to win a Silver Stevie through all categories of the marketing awards, and tied for the award with State Farm, DHL and Deloitte. US Cellular and Adobe took home gold in both categories.
“We’re proud of all the awards, but the Stevie Awards are next level,” said Abby Dean, executive director of integrated marketing. “To be recognized in the same categories, at the same levels is really affirming of the work we’re producing. It speaks to the caliber of this team.”
The Hermes platinum awards were in the digital marketing campaign and integrated marketing campaign categories.
University Communication’s application fee waiver campaign won gold in the 2024 Hermes Creative Award social media campaign category.
“It’s very humbling to lead a team like this,” Dean said. “Individually, each member owns their expertise and brings it to bear on the execution of our work. As a team, they trust, challenge, strive and rely on each other to produce work judged equal to national and global brands like State Farm and Adobe. To help lead this team – particularly for my alma mater – is a true honor.
CMU was the only university to win a Stevie Award and the only university to win platinum in the Hermes “Digital Marketing Campaign.” It was one of only two universities worldwide to win a Hermes in the Integrated Marketing Campaign category
The latest accolades for University Communications are in addition to those earned earlier this spring, with the awards total now sitting at 16 for the two campaigns - plus a regional Emmy Award nomination. They include:
- 2024 Michigan Regional Emmy Award nomination (Commercial)
- 2024 AVA Digital Awards, Platinum Winner (Integrated Marketing Campaign)
- 2024 AVA Digital Awards, Platinum Winner (Social Campaign)
- 2024 Hermes Creative Awards, Platinum Winner (Digital Marketing Campaign)
- 2024 Hermes Creative Awards, Platinum Winner (Integrated Marketing Campaign)
- 2024 Hermes Creative Awards, Gold Winner (Social Media Campaign)
- 2024 dotCom Awards, Platinum Winner (Digital Marketing Campaign)
- 2024 dotCom Awards, Platinum Winner (Brand Awareness Campaign)
- 2024 dotCom Awards, Platinum Winner (Social Media Campaign)
- 2024 MarCom Awards, Gold Winner (Advertising Campaign)
- 2024 Viddy Awards, Gold Winner (Integrated Marketing Campaign)
- 2024 Viddy Awards, Honorable Mention (Social Media)
- 2024 Communicator Awards, Award of Distinction - Gold (Branding for Integrated & Multi-Channel Campaigns)
- 2024 Communicator Awards, Award of Excellence - Platinum (Social Media Marketing Effectiveness)
- 2024 Stevie Awards - The American Business Awards, Silver Stevie Winner (Branded Content Campaign of the Year)
- 2024 Stevie Awards – The American Business Awards, Silver Stevie Winner (Marketing Disruptor of the Year)
- 2024 Telly Awards – Bronze Winner (Branded Campaign)
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.
