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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.

      Celebrating CMU's newest alumni

      by Sanjna Jassi
      Central Michigan University celebrated its newest alumni at a series of in-person commencement ceremonies in Kelly/Shorts Stadium May 7, 8 and 9.

      This past weekend, Central Michigan University celebrated its newest alumni at a series of in-person commencement ceremonies — the first since December 2019 — in Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

      More than 2,000 spring graduates received their diplomas during 12 ceremonies May 7, 8 and 9. The celebrations are captured below in video and photos, and full recordings of each ceremony are available on CMU's commencement webpage.

      Images: Friday, May 7 ceremonies

      College of Medicine, doctoral, and master's, certificate and specialists.

      May 7 ceremony

      Images: Saturday, May 8 ceremonies

      College of the Arts and Media, College of Business Administration, College of Education and Human Services, and The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions.

      May 8 ceremony II

      Images: Sunday, May 9 ceremonies

      College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and College of Science and Engineering.

      May 9 ceremony

      The class of 2020 also will return Saturday, May 15 to receive their diplomas during three scheduled ceremonies.

      Questions?