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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: ‘No undergrad tuition increase’

      by Sanjay Gupta
      CMU’s Board of Trustees today approved to freeze undergraduate tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year.

      In a virtual meeting today, the Central Michigan University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to freeze undergraduate tuition rates and all mandatory fees for all new and returning students for fiscal year 2020-2021.

      The decision was made in an effort to support students and their families as many struggle with financial hardship caused by COVID-19.

      "With added pressures from the effects of this pandemic, we made this decision to provide a level of stability and certainty to students and their families as they plan for the year ahead," said CMU President Bob Davies. "Freezing tuition rates allows us to continue to offer students a high-quality education at an affordable price."

      Trustees have not yet set 2020-2021 graduate and doctoral tuition rates.

      Review all 2020-2021 undergraduate tuition and fees

      With this move, Central's cumulative tuition rate increase over the past decade is expected to remain the lowest in the state.

      Davies noted that freezing tuition rates is just one of the ways CMU is providing financial relief, a sense of security and added stability for students and families during this difficult time. Another such effort is the deferment of fall 2020 student payments until Nov. 1.

      "We have initiated deferred payment and flexible payment plans, and we are not assessing late fees that would prevent current students from enrolling this year in classes for future semesters," Davies said in his opening report to the board.

      In other action, trustees also approved:

      • Nearly 3,100 May 2020 graduates, who will be recognized at a commencement ceremony in August. This includes 2,181 bachelor's degrees, 662 master's degrees, 201 doctoral degrees, six specialist degrees and 36 graduate certificates.
      • Policies and bylaws for CMU's participation in E-sports Collegiate Inc., which was established by Mid-American Conference member institutions.
      • The collaborative supports the scheduling of competition seasons and matches among member teams, ensuring uniformity in minimum technical standards for competitions. Additionally, it defines criteria for student player competition eligibility.
      • Authorization of university lines of credit, in the event they are needed to provide funds for general university operating purposes.

      President's report

      Davies opened his report to the board by addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, expressing his gratitude to those who make it possible for CMU to remain open and mission-focused during the crisis, including the Emergency Management Team.

      He once again thanked students, faculty, and staff for adapting to sudden, unexpected changes, having to learn and work remotely virtually overnight.

      He also acknowledged the outstanding support of CMU's alumni and friends.

      "Since the crisis began, our alumni and supporters have contributed more than $36,000 to the Student Emergency Fund to provide help for students who have been hardest hit," he said. "In the past month alone, we have distributed nearly $70,000 to students in need."

      Davies also highlighted many ways that CMU faculty, staff and students are supporting communities throughout the state during the COVID-19 crisis, including creating masks for health care workers, volunteering at screening and testing sites, and helping teachers prepare for extended remote learning.

      Additional accolades include:

      • College of Business Administration seniors Jake Aymen and Eric Scott for being the first CMU team to win the National Investment Banking Competition of Canada, beating more than 10,000 participants from more than 200 schools worldwide.
      • Austin Konkel, a junior math major from Warren, Michigan, for receiving the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship.
      • Meghan Dyer, a senior majoring in secondary English education, and Anastasia Bjork, a senior majoring in health administration, for being awarded Fulbright Awards to teach abroad once it is safe to travel.
      • CMU College of Medicine's fourth Match Day, where nearly half of its class of 2020 matched in Michigan to complete their residencies.

      Davies also acknowledged Scott Strong, director of internal audit, who retires this month, and General Counsel Manuel Rupe, who will become associate dean of legal affairs for CMU's College of Medicine July 1.

      Questions?