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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 trustees approve new physics doctoral degree

      by Sanjay Gupta
      The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees today voted to enhance the university’s physics footprint by approving a new doctoral degree.

      The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees today voted to enhance the university's physics footprint by approving a new doctoral degree.

      Graduate students in the physics program will be trained to become independent researchers capable of performing high-quality, original research. They also will be prepared for high-level careers across government, industry and higher education.

      The research-intensive program is designed to equip students with professional scientific training in specific subfields, including condensed matter physics, nuclear physics and astrophysics. It complements Central's Master of Science in Physics and Science of Advanced Materials Ph.D. programs.

      Focus on innovation and excellence

      In other action, the board approved a nearly $462 million 2019-2020 operating budget, which reflects a projected decline in revenues of 3.8%.

      The budget also includes reallocation of funds into several new initiatives, including those to increase efforts to recruit and retain students as well as efforts to advance academic innovation and excellence. Among the most notable is creation of the President's and Provost's Fund for Innovation and Excellence. This fund will allow academic units to develop, expand or evolve innovative programs to address relevant issues in the Great Lakes Bay Region and beyond.

      The fund was initiated by President Bob Davies, Provost Mike Gealt and incoming Provost Mary Schutten. It will emphasize interdisciplinary programs that combine critical learning areas such as the liberal arts and sciences.

      "The Fund for Innovation and Excellence will be used to spur areas of inquiry that will advance our reputation in providing our students rigorous, relevant and excellent programs that will prepare them for our dynamic world," Davies said.

      Departments and academic colleges will have the opportunity to put forward proposals this fall to compete for funding.

       

      Other initiatives to receive funding are academic advising, marketing, recruitment, and opening and operating expenses for the Center for Integrated Health Studies, which is nearing construction completion and will open for classes in January.

      In other action, the board approved:

      • Establishment of a long-term affiliation and medical education agreement with Covenant HealthCare.
      • Emeritus rank for seven CMU faculty and staff members.
      • 10 new endowments totaling $714,000.

      Trustees also approved an agreement extending the university's relationship with and support of the CMU Research Corp., which began in 2004. The CMU Research Corp. is a professional coworking space with accelerator programs that focus on product and strategic development. CMURC serves entrepreneurs working to positively impact the economy in the Great Lakes Bay Region. The new agreement reauthorizes a $500,000 annual subsidy through 2024.

      In the last five years, CMURC expanded its programs and co-work spaces beyond the Mount Pleasant SmartZone and opened offices in Bay City and Saginaw.

      "The ongoing relationship between Central and CMURC has grown the entrepreneurial community throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region and provided collaboration opportunities for CMU faculty, staff, students and alumni," said President Davies, who also chairs the CMURC board.

      Advancing Central's strategic plan

      In his opening report to the board, President Davies addressed the need to build on the foundation of the current Academic Excellence strategic plan and extend the university's view and planning efforts to 2030.

      Davies noted four evolving areas that will be considered in the development of the 2030 strategic plan: Technology and communication; biomedicine and health science; the globalization of society; and sustainability.

      "We have a tremendous opportunity to look forward a decade with an eye on the rigor, relevance and excellence that mark the highest-quality, most successful and most revered universities," Davies said. "In fact, I'd say it's imperative that we assess our university and thoughtfully, boldly, plan its future."

      He noted that he and the cabinet this summer will finalize the process for moving forward on the new plan, which will involve the entire campus community and external stakeholders.

       

      Also in his opening remarks, Davies welcomed CMU's newest trustee, Isaiah Oliver, and Schutten, who starts Monday as provost and executive vice president.

      "Dr. Schutten's leadership of Central Michigan University will be pivotal as we take actions in the coming months and years to shape our future," Davies said.

      Davies also recognized three campus leaders completing their time of service to CMU this week:

      • Michael Gealt is stepping down after six years as provost.
      • Steven Johnson leaves CMU after seven years as vice president of enrollment and student services.
      • Sherry Knight is stepping down from seven years as associate vice president of university communications.

      Additional recognitions from Davies include:

      • Head baseball coach Jordan Bischel, who led his team to Mid-American Conference regular-season and tournament titles as well as its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1995.
      • Robert Bienkowski, director of CMU's Office of Research Compliance, who was selected as the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Service Award from Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research.
      • Peter Ross, Jeremy Bond and Phil Coffman from the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Support, and Barb Klocko, a faculty member from the Department of Educational Leadership, who were recognized by the American Association of University Administrators for the process they created to develop CMU's online courses and programs.
      • Central's University Communications team for receiving two international Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. One was for its crisis communications during a deadly March 2, 2018, domestic violence incident on campus. The other was for an innovative T-shirt swap that advanced the university's brand and honored the late CMU alumnus and sportscaster, Dick Enberg.

      Questions?