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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.
Ceremony recognizes naming of CMU’s Philip L. Kintzele School of Accounting
by
Jason Fielder
A Nov. 1 ribbon-cutting ceremony honored the naming of CMU’s School of Accounting to recognize retired accounting professor Phillip Kintzele’s dedication to the university, including lifetime gift commitments of more than $2 million.
More than 90 people attended the ceremony, including current and former staff and faculty members, alumni, students and university leaders.
Kintzele, who retired from the university in 2019 after 38 years of service, established The Philip Kintzele Accounting MBA Scholarship in 1986 to benefit accounting majors committed to completing CMU’s accelerated MBA accounting program after earning their bachelor’s degree.
One of the students who received that scholarship is alumnus Jacob Vanator, ‘18 BS, ‘19 MBA, who spoke at the ceremony.
“In both my undergraduate and graduate programs, I received versions of the Philip Kintzele Accounting Scholarship, which propelled me to graduate from Central Michigan University with both of my degrees debt-free,” said Vanator, who currently runs an accounting firm with his father.
"Phil's impact, along with the rest of the accounting faculty, has allowed me to (have my career). I couldn't do it in any capacity without the training of Phil and the faculty here at CMU," Vanator said.
The event coincided with new CMU President Dr. Neil MacKinnon’s first day on the job. During his first official speech as president, MacKinnon noted the profound impact Kintzele has had on the school and the university.
“As a faculty member, Dr. Kintzele gave a tremendous amount of his time to guiding and mentoring students, and that commitment continues,” MacKinnon said. “It is only appropriate that CMU’s School of Accounting now bears the name of Dr. Philip Kintzele, whose legacy will continue to impact generations of CMU students.”
For more information on the Philip L. Kintzele School of Accounting, visit cba.cmich.edu.
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.
