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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?
The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees will meet in formal session at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13, following scheduled committee meetings on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. It will be the first Board meeting for newly appointed Trustees Dr. Ashok Kondur and Jeff Stoutenburg.
Items on the agenda for the February sessions include housing and food rates for the 2025-2026 academic year, authorization for the president to sign collective bargaining agreements once negotiated, and approval of faculty tenure and promotions.
Trustees also will consider emeritus rank for five faculty and staff members. Dennis Armistead, Steven Berkshire, Elizabeth Campbell, Carl Lee and Mark McDonald will be recognized for their years of service to the CMU community.
Prior to the formal session on Thursday afternoon, Trustees will visit the College of the Arts and Media to learn more about programs and initiatives underway in the college. Jefferson Campbell, dean of the College of the Arts and Media, also will give a presentation during Thursday’s meeting.
Other items on the meeting agenda include:
- Selecting an accounting firm to provide external audits for the next five years.
- New and changing endowments, awards and scholarships.
- Approval of a naming opportunity for a Chair of Medical Research.
- An appointment to the Clarke Historical Library Board of Governors.
- Appointment of a Board of Directors member to the CMU Research Corporation.
Highlights for Wednesday’s committee meetings include:
- Academic and Student Affairs Committee, 2:00-3:00 p.m. – Provost and Executive Vice President Paula Lancaster will offer an update on the Academic Affairs division. Interim Vice President of Innovation and Online Kaleb Patrick and Sarah Marshall, chairperson of Counseling, Educational Leadership and Higher Education, will report on the Innovation Investment Award and Quick Start Grant. Vice President Jennifer DeHaemers will provide an enrollment and retention update, and Interim Vice President of Student Affairs Stan Shingles will report on the division’s alignment with the university’s strategic plan.
- Finance and Facilities Committee, 3:00-3:45 p.m. – The committee will discuss agenda items for consideration in Thursday’s formal session, including housing and food rates, collective bargaining agreements authorization, and approval of a temporary easement at Beaver Island Biological Station.
- Trustees-Faculty Liaison Committee, 4:00-4:45 p.m. – Cheryl Barden and Bridget LaPoint, faculty members in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and two students studying American Sign Language will give a presentation on an experiential and cultural ASL course being offered in The Bahamas over spring break.
- Trustees-Student Liaison Committee, 4:45-5:30 p.m. – Student Government Association President Caroline Hernandez Ruiz and Vice President Aashka Barot will offer a report on SGA activities. Program Board President Kat Allmacher and Vice President Lauren Rupe and Residence Hall Association Director Jayla Benson also will provide updates from their organizations.
Agendas for the February meetings, including Wednesday’s public committee meetings and the formal session Thursday, are available on the Board of Trustees Agendas and Minutes webpage.
Board of Trustees meetings are open to the university community and members of the public. All meetings will be held in the President’s Conference Room in the Bovee University Center, with seating for up to 25 individuals in the adjoining Lake Superior Room.
All meetings are also available via live stream:
- View the Wednesday committee meetings via live stream.
- View the Thursday formal session meeting via live stream.
Per the Board of Trustees Bylaws, individuals wishing to address the Board of Trustees during the public comment period must submit a request in advance of the formal session in one of two ways:
- Complete the “Request to Address the Board” online form.
- Visit the Office of the President in Warriner Hall to complete a request card.