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.

Learn more

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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Alumni and friends – Join us in Larzelere for Homecoming

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Central Michigan University alumni and other fans coming to Mount Pleasant for Homecoming this month have an opportunity for a more immersive experience by staying on campus.

The university is opening event housing in Larzelere Hall to CMU alumni, family members and anyone else interested aged 18 or older for Homecoming weekend, Oct. 13-15.

The suites are available at a flat rate of $360 for the entire weekend for up to four guests, said Erica Johnson, interim assistant vice president of student affairs. Check in is at 3 p.m. Friday with a noon Sunday checkout time.

Most of Larzelere’s suites have two, two-person bedrooms. It also has a few two-person suites. All of the suites come furnished with standard residence hall furniture. Guests are asked to bring their own linens and toiletries.

Larzelere Hall is located on the northwest corner of CMU’s campus, within easy walking distance to the Homecoming parade, open house and reception events, and Saturday’s football game at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, Johnson said. The game against the Akron Zips kicks off at 3:30 p.m.

Among the other events are a breakfast for prospective students who are children and grandchildren of alumni at 9 a.m. in the Bovee University Center Rotunda, tailgating at 11:30 a.m. at the stadium and the Cardboard Boat Races at the Rose Ponds at 1 p.m.

Larzelere Hall is also less than a mile from downtown Mount Pleasant and close to alumni events happening all over campus during homecoming weekend.

Suites are currently available on a first-come, first-served basis, and CMU has an end date for registrations tentatively set for Oct. 6.

Stay with us

A credit card is required to rent a room. After registering, guests will receive a confirmation email with additional details. It will also ask for more information about each guest. Johnson said no on-site registration will be available, advance registrations are required.

CMU has planned three opportunities for the public to stay on campus during the 2023-24 academic school year. In addition to the October 2023 homecoming event, CMU will also offer suites in Larzelere Hall for the December 2023 and May 2024 commencement events. This will allow guests to stay close to graduates while simplifying travel across campus.