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.

2025 NVC Competition Live Stream

2025 NVC Awards Live Stream

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.

A student standing with a faculty member holding big winning checks from the New Venture Challenge 2024.

Start up

Build up your venture idea.

Learn more

A student smiling and standing in front of his venture display at the 2024 New Venture Challenge.

Family business

Explore the Alternative Entrepreneurial Pathways category at NVC.

Learn more

A close-up of the Prusa i3 MK3 printer in the entrepreneurship makerspace, the IDEA Den in Grawn Hall 166.

Product and prototype design

Create and patent your ideas.

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Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

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CMU celebrates record-setting $26 million in fundraising

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Central Michigan University alumni and friends paid it forward in a big way during the 2023-24 fiscal year, contributing $25.9 million in the single most successful fundraising year in school history. The new record exceeds the previous record in 2020 by nearly $2 million.

"The CMU community is showing its true maroon and gold pride,” CMU President Bob Davies said. “The selfless generosity of our many engaged alumni and friends paves the path for current and future students, as well as for the university as a whole.”

Highlights of FY2024 fundraising:

A record number of principal gifts of at least $1 million contributed more than $7 million total. This includes:
- The largest financial commitment ever to the School of Music from alumnus Mark Holen, endowing a professorship in percussion through a legacy gift in his estate.
- Lifetime gift commitments of more than $2 million generously donated by Phil Kintzele, accounting professor emeritus, resulting in the naming of the Philip L. Kintzele School of Accounting.
- A $2 million gift from alumni Tim and Sherry Magnusson supporting CMU Athletics and the CMU College of Business Administration.
CMU’s strongest Giving Tuesday ever on Nov. 28, 2023, raised more than $520,000 in one day from more than 1,200 alumni and friends, driving support of critical initiatives such as the Student Emergency Fund, Food Pantry, and the Finish Up Chips and Ignite for First Generation Students scholarships.
Planned gifts designated for future CMU support — often through wills and trusts — surpassed $10 million this year, also a record.

"This record generosity from our alumni and friends gives us tremendous momentum as we prepare for CMU’s next comprehensive campaign,” said Jennifer Cotter, vice president for Advancement. “Current and future students will benefit from the incredible commitment and engagement of alumni, faculty, staff, friends and university leaders.

“Every donor makes a difference. This year is a perfect reflection of the remarkable sense of community at CMU,” she said.

Advancement Board Chair Sarah Opperman credits the record generosity to several factors.

"Donors are inspired by CMU’s outstanding students and programs, and CMU’s leaders, faculty and staff are actively engaged in the process, which is translating into financially significant and strategically important contributions across the university,” Opperman said. “This powerful combination and commitment are setting the pace we need to drive CMU’s future.”

CMU’s Alumni Relations team engaged more than 70,000 alumni throughout the year, with nearly 9,000 alumni attending 141 events.

For information about how to support Central Michigan University, visit the Advancement website.