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.

Learn more

Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

Learn more

CMU trustees to address operating budget, graduate tuition

by Sanjay Gupta

The CMU Board of Trustees will consider approval of a $428 million 2020-21 operating budget as well as master’s/specialist and doctoral tuition rates when it meets Thursday.

The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees will consider approval of a $428 million 2020-21 operating budget as well as master's/specialist and doctoral tuition rates when it meets in formal session at 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

In addition, several university leaders will provide updates on CMU's coronavirus response and plan to resume face-to-face operations.

At their formal session, trustees also will consider approval of:

An additional meal plan option to benefit students impacted by or concerned about social distancing or other COVID-19-related issues.
Establishment of a long-term affiliation with CMU Medical Education Partners.

Along with reviewing several items that will be on Thursday's formal agenda, highlights of the committee meetings Wednesday include:

Policy and Bylaws, 12:40-12:55 p.m. — The committee will review traffic ordinance amendments approved as part of the 2020-21 campus map.
Enterprise Risk, 1-1:50 p.m. — Trustees will discuss various financial risks related to COVID-19.
Academic and Student Affairs, 2-3 p.m. — Update on planning for fall semester and academic response to COVID-19 from Provost Mary C. Schutten. Jennifer DeHaemers, vice president for recruitment and retention; Tony Voisin, associate vice president for student affairs; and Lee Furbeck, executive director of admissions, will give an update on enrollment activities for fall 2020.
Finance and Facilities, 3:05-4:05 p.m. — Jonathan Webb, associate vice president for facilities management, will present an update on summer construction.

The trustees-faculty and trustees-student liaison committees do not meet in June.

Thursday's formal session and Wednesday's committee meetings listed above are open to the university community and general public virtually through the following links:

Committee meetings Wednesday.
Formal session Thursday.

In accordance with the Board of Trustees Bylaws, public comment will be allowed for Thursday's formal session by submitting a request online and providing comments in advance to be read at the meeting. Given the virtual format, public comment will not be delivered in person for this meeting.

The agendas for the June meetings are available on the Board of Trustees' website.