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Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
We empower entrepreneurial thinkers—whether you’re launching a venture, building a family business, creating social impact, or driving innovation inside an organization. Turn ideas into action.
Start your entrepreneurial journey
At Central Michigan University, the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship is more than a program—it’s where students from every major turn ideas into real impact. As Michigan’s first Department of Entrepreneurship, we’re a hub for hands-on learning, innovation, and mentorship.
Here, you’ll:
- Build an entrepreneurial mindset that sets you apart in any career path—launching ventures, shaping social missions, advancing family businesses, or driving innovation inside established companies.
- Collaborate across disciplines to create projects that matter.
- Learn from alumni, faculty, and industry leaders who’ve built their own paths.
- Gain real-world experience through workshops, hackathons, and pitch competitions.
- Compete in the New Venture Challenge, where students win up to $10,000 in cash and grants to grow their ideas.
Whether you want to start something new or transform what already exists, the Institute is your launchpad.
Take the next step!
When you’re ready to get started, stop by Grawn 164 to join the team or visit the Idea Den in Grawn 166—your space to brainstorm, build, and take the next step.
Questions?
A higher percentage of recent Central Michigan University graduates reported finding employment within six months than those at nearly every other Michigan university, according to the most current publicly available data.
Seventy-eight percent of them were still living in Michigan, said Rob VanDorin, director of CMU’s Career Development Center.
Among three graduating classes from August and December 2021 and May 2022, 93.7 percent of former students reported either being employed or pursuing more education within six months of leaving CMU, VanDorin said. This places CMU among the highest in the state for public institutions.
It’s also CMU’s highest percentage in 10 years, VanDorin said. Prior to 2021-22, CMU’s highest percentage of students employed or pursuing more education was 93.4 percent in 2017-18.
Of the 615 respondents to the First Destination Survey, approximately 75 percent said they were employed or volunteering; another 20 percent said they were pursuing additional education, according to survey results.
Graduates from two colleges – the College of Business Administration and the College of Health Professions – reported the highest rates of employment at 95 percent or higher.
They also reported earning an average annual income of $48,901. That is $14,000 higher than the average Michigan income of $34,768, as reported in the latest Census.
CMU’s First Destination Survey was based on National Association of Colleges and Employers guidelines. Data gathered from 2021-22 is also the most current data available among Michigan’s public universities.
Universities are not required to report employment data after six months and not all universities share their data publicly, VanDorin said.
“Based on current publicly available first destination data we have from more than ten public institutions, we are proud that CMU students are finding first destination success, at the second highest rate in the state,” VanDorin said. “CMU’s Career Development Center continues to development new programming and resources, while assisting students earlier in their career exploration journey, to strive to push this rate even higher.”