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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.

      CMU faculty recognized among world’s top 2% of scientists

      by Teagan Haynes

      Several Central Michigan University faculty members have been ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide, according to the 2024 Stanford/Elsevier rankings. The rankings evaluate scientists across 22 scientific fields and 176 subfields based on multiple scholarly metrics to determine overall influence. 

      This recognition is both humbling and motivating for CMU faculty. One of the scientists honored, Goksel Demirer, Ph.D., professor and director of the School of Engineering and Technology, shared, “It feels great to know that the knowledge we generate is used worldwide by hundreds of universities and thousands of researchers.” He attributed his success to his dedicated research team of both undergraduate and graduate students, stating, "Without them, this achievement could not have been possible." 

      Another honoree, Koblar Alan Jackson, Ph.D., emphasized the collaborative spirit within the CMU Physics Department, saying, “It’s fun to come to work and share ideas that can turn into interesting research.” He also credited resources, like access to advanced computer facilities and a program sponsored by the College of Science and Engineering and the CMU Office of Research and Graduate Studies, which allows faculty to focus on research. 

      Similarly, Mihai Horoi, Ph.D., Department of Physics, expressed gratitude for CMU’s support in providing course releases and grants for faculty, which, he noted, is essential for balancing research and teaching. He stated that this recognition confirms the impact and value of their research efforts. Valeri Petkov, Ph.D., Department of Physics, also acknowledged how thankful he was for the significant opportunities and support provided by CMU to pursue his research.  

      Other CMU faculty and affiliates were also recognized as being in the top 2% of scientists.  

      Lifetime Top 2% Scientists, at CMU or affiliated with CMU:

      • Amin, Sanjiv B. 
      • Babb, Thomas 
      • Bailey, Beth A. 
      • Beehr, Terry 
      • Davison, Ian R. 
      • Demirer, Goksel N. 
      • Haseli, Yousef 
      • Horoi, Mihai 
      • Howell, Bob A. 
      • Jackson, Koblar Alan 
      • Klein, Michael 
      • Meert, Kathleen 
      • Meldrum, Daniel R. 
      • Petkov, V. 
      • Przyklenk, Karin
      • Slovis, Thomas 
      • Taub, Jefferey 
      • Tolia, Vasundhara 
      • Zuelzer, Wolf

      Top 2% Scientists (2023):

      • Abdelgawad, Ahmed 
      • Amin, Sanjiv B. 
      • Bailey, Beth A. 
      • Beehr, Terry 
      • Fahlman, Bradley D. 
      • Famoye, Felix 
      • Greenlee-Wacker, Mallary C. 
      • Haseli, Yousef 
      • Horoi, Mihai 
      • Howell, Bob A. 
      • Iheduru-Anderson, Kechi 
      • Jafferany, Mohammad 
      • Kulvatunyou, Narong 
      • Meert, Kathleen 
      • Meldrum, Daniel R. 
      • Natarajan, Girija 
      • Petkov, Valeri 
      • Shin, Donghyun 
      • Slovis, Thomas 
      • Tuma, Faiz

      Questions?