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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.

      Building civic engagement at CMU

      by Sanjay Gupta
      Student voting at Central Michigan University more than doubled between 2014 and 2018.

      Central Michigan University faculty, staff, students and community members in the Central Votes Coalition have been working to increase civic engagement among students, and their efforts are paying off.

      According to data from the National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement, student civic engagement through voting more than doubled at CMU from 2014 to 2018.

      And while the news is good, coalition members say there's still work to do to help students form the habits of active and informed citizenship.

      Jodi Brookins-Fisher, faculty member in the School of Health Sciences, and teacher education professor emeritus Norma Bailey said students still face several obstacles when it comes to casting a ballot.

      Students may lack time to cast their vote because they are in class or working, and some may have trouble registering. They also may be unaware of important details such as where they are registered, polling place hours, or voting and registration dates, Brookins-Fisher said.

      To address the challenges, Central Votes; campus partners including Student Government Association, Residence Life, the Leadership Institute and the Volunteer Center; and community partners such as the Mount Pleasant Area Diversity Group and the League of Women Voters are increasing voter education and outreach activities, Bailey said.

      Primary is right around the corner

      Michigan's Tuesday, March 10, presidential primary occurs during the university's spring break. Students can take steps now to ensure they're registered and ready to vote.

      Written by University Communications intern Shiyao Liu.

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