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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.

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.

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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.

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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 student places first in Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge

by Kaye Reimers

Students across the state of Michigan joined together at Central Michigan University for a chance to win prizes up to $5,000 on Oct. 20.

20 teams from CMU, Western Michigan University, Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, and Michigan Technological University began setting up to give their elevator pitch.

Top eight teams made it to the final round, and competed at the Grand Startup challenge in the evening.

Glenn Cross, one of the judges of the elevator pitch, thought it was amazing to listen to different teams' ideas and future businesses.

“It was inspiring,” Cross said. “I hope they get a lot of feedback and a lot of positive affirmation around their projects that gives them the extra fuel needed to take their business to the next level.”

Winners of MCSC:

1^st place winner of $5,000: Rasegan Outdoor Company, Central Michigan Student Robert Rasegan
2^nd place winner of $3,500: Lead You Home, Central Michigan student David Abilez
3^rd place winner of $2,000: Eventifide, Central Michigan student Erin Markovicz
4^th place winner of $1,000: Foxpops, Michigan State students Shaurya Pandya and Shubham Aggarwal
People's choice of $500: Odin Classroom, Michigan State students Aman Dhruva Thamminana and Rajmeet Singh Chandok

Rasegan who pitched his business idea “Rasegan Outdoor Company” plans on using the money to help improve his business.

“With the money we plan on looking at manufacturing options and looking at funds for advertising,” Rasegan said.

He thought MCSC was a great experience for all students.

“Being part of this was something bigger and just entrepreneurship itself,” he said. “It was great to compete with fellow students and students from other schools and we had a fun time doing it.”