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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 undergraduate physicists excel at CUWIP conference, engage with renowned scientist Jocelyn Bell Burnell
by
Robert Wang
Last month, the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWIP) at the University of Michigan had two budding CMU undergraduate physicists in attendance, Savannah Limarenko and Savannah Nahodil.
Nahodil is conducting research at CMU that delves into the fascinating realm of meteorites. Using x-ray testing, she analyzed unknown samples, ultimately identifying them as meteorites. By comparing their chemical composition to known asteroid compositions and stellar spectra, Nahodil aims to unlock insights into the composition of the presolar nebula and interstellar medium at the solar system's formation.
Meanwhile, Limarenko, who was able to showcase her research at the conference, is working on the Central Michigan High Precision Penning Trap (CHIP-TRAP), a cutting-edge tool designed to accurately measure the mass of unstable and long-lived isotopes. Her focus lies in simulating ejection optics for CHIP-TRAP, which could significantly enhance our understanding of ion capture and transport within the trap.
However, the highlight of the conference wasn't just the presentations. Both Savannahs had the unique opportunity to engage with keynote speaker Jocelyn Bell Burnell, a renowned astrophysicist celebrated for her discovery of pulsars. Bell Burnell's groundbreaking work, which began as a Ph.D. student in the 1960’s, uncovered the enigmatic signals emitted by rapidly rotating neutron stars, fundamentally altering our understanding of the universe.
In reflecting on the conference, both Limarenko and Nahodil expressed gratitude for the chance to interact with Bell Burnell and other trailblazing women physicists. Bell Burnell herself commended the conference for its role in fostering the next generation of female scientists, remarking on the excitement of seeing so many young women passionate about physics.
The CUWIP conference served as a platform not only for scientific exchange but also for inspiration and mentorship, reaffirming the importance of nurturing diversity and inclusivity within the field of physics.
Signature Programs
Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
Explore special opportunities to learn new skills and travel the world.
Compete & Win
New Venture Challenge 2025
Present your venture and win BIG at the New Venture Challenge.
Build your skills
Workshops and events
Boost your entrepreneurial skills through our workshops, mentor meetups and pitch competitions.
Develop your ideas
IDEA Den
Learn about the entrepreneurship makerspace on campus in Grawn Hall.
Ready, Set, Pitch!
Make-A-Pitch 2024
Present a 2-minute pitch at the Make-A-Pitch Competition and you could win prizes and bragging rights!
Meet Mentors
Mentorship and support
Connect with mentors and faculty who are here to support the next generation of CMU entrepreneurs.
Support students
Make an impact
Are you a CMU alum looking to support CMU student entrepreneurs? Learn how you can support or donate to the Entrepreneurship Institute.
View our programming newsletter
Alumni give back to students through mentorship, real-world experiences
The Wakeling Gendron Entrepreneurial Scholars program wrapped its first cohort this academic year.
Students compete to win cash prizes at the New Venture Challenge
Pitched 40 ventures at NMV Challenge, Friday, April 19, CMU. Judges awarded $100,000 in cash prizes.
Wakeling Gendron Scholars make a life-changing trip to Texas
Wakeling and Gendron Scholars attended SXSW in Texas, meeting industry leaders and gaining entrepreneurial insights.
Business barriers lead CMU students to a new venture
Justin Ashman and Philip Mundt won Central Michigan University's New Venture Competition with their 3-D printing operation, Form Further.
