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.

Learn more

CMU offers two options for on-campus flu shots this fall

by Megan Winans

Central Michigan University students, faculty and staff are highly encouraged to vaccinate against the flu. CMU is offering two ways to get a flu shot on campus this fall.

“Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and death,” said George E. Kikano, M.D., CMU vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Medicine. “We want our campus community to stay well, and vaccination is a safe, effective way to prevent severe cases of influenza.”

Kikano said behaviors to slow the spread of the flu apply to other viruses, such as colds and COVID-19.

“The flu vaccine, combined with preventive activities such as hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes, plus staying home when ill, will reduce the number of flu cases on our campus,” he said.

Here are details of flu shot availability on campus:

Alana’s Foundation one-day, pop-up clinic

Alana’s Foundation will sponsor a one-day flu shot clinic at the Bovee University Center Terrace Rooms, 103 E. Preston, Mount Pleasant, on Wednesday, September 14, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Alana’s Foundation clinic is open to students, faculty, staff and the general public.
To ensure adequate vaccine supply, preregistration is highly recommended. Register here: flu.vna.org, clinic ID: 1302, passcode: ALANAS2022.
All attendees must complete the online consent form found at flu.vna.org. Children under 17 must have a consent form completed and signed by a parent or guardian.
Masks are recommended at the Alana’s Foundation clinic.
Please bring a copy of your insurance card. If you are uninsured or underinsured, Alana’s Foundation will subsidize the cost of your vaccine.
The clinic is sponsored by Alana’s Foundation and staffed by the Michigan Community Visiting Nurses Association.
Please contact info@alanasfoundation.org with questions regarding the one-day flu shot clinic.

CMU Student Health Services

Flu shots for students, faculty and staff will be available after September 17, 2022, at CMU Student Health Services, Foust Hall, Room 200 (second floor).
Hours are 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m., 1-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Walk-ins are welcome.
Masks are required at Student Health Services.
While most insurance plans cover the flu shot, please check with your insurance carrier. For faculty and staff, Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance through CMU covers the flu vaccine with no out-of-pocket cost.
For questions or to make an appointment, call 989-774-6599 and press option #1.