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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.

      CM Life named College Media Company of the Year

      by Vivek Rawat
      The student media company was named company of the year for the sixth consecutive year by College Media Business and Advertising Managers.

      Central Michigan Life was named College Media Company of the Year by the College Media Business and Advertising Managers organization for the sixth consecutive year during the 2019 National College Journalism Convention in La Jolla, California.

      "It is an honor to be recognized among so many other successful student media companies," said Kathy Simon, assistant director of student media at Central Michigan University. "It validates to our students that they are doing outstanding work in the fields of advertising, design, sales, marketing and multimedia."

      To win College Media Company of the Year, an organization must submit entries into the 40 different award categories that include design, sales, marketing and multimedia. A point system awards organizations based on where they place in each category. The organization with the highest points from all the categories combined takes the title of College Media Company of the Year.

      While at the convention, attendees also competed in a pitch-off, a practice presentation of a campaign created for a fictional client.

      "Our pitch included digital advertising, Google ads, social media advertising and event marketing," said Haley Lewis, an advertising student from Macomb, Michigan.

      A bushel of awards

      CM Life took home a total of 23 awards from 40 different categories during the convention. Highlights include:

      • College Media Company of the Year.
      • First Place – Best College Media Design Program.
      • First Place – Best College Media Sales Program.
      • First Place – Best Sales Proposal.
      • First Place – Best Innovative New Idea.
      • First Place – Best Training Program.
      • First Place – Best Social Media Strategy.
      • First Place – Best Guerrilla Marketing Strategy.

      CM Life received second place, third place and honorable mention in 14 other design, sales, marketing and multimedia categories.

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