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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 Vice President provides training for Haitian agronomists

      by Henry Heller

      David Weindorf, Ph.D., the Vice President for Research and Innovation at CMU, took a leading role in training Haitian agronomists to utilize new scientific equipment. The Association Zanmi Agrikol (AZA) secured a grant to purchase a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer which allows analysts to determine the elemental composition of soil, vegetation, or water in approximately one minute. Additionally, AZA purchased a NixPro color sensor which is used to quantify organic matter in soils. The data from the instruments can then be used to map the variability of soil across a farm field which informs precise land management for maximum productivity.   

       Weindorf has worked with the AZA team in Haiti for about a decade providing agronomic support and consultation. After receiving the new equipment, AZA Executive Director Reginald Cean reached out to Weindorf to provide on-site training for his staff and students. Weindorf then spent a few days in Haiti providing instruction on how to use the instruments and interpret data. The team developed a research paper with the data collected which is currently under peer review.  

       The instruments received are the first of their type in Haiti and represent a monumental technological advancement for the country. Weindorf says, “They are using state-of-the-art technology to improve agronomic production in service to their people. It also puts them more firmly on the scientific stage, whereby they can provide top quality data for publishing in research journals.”  

       At the conclusion of the training, Weindorf says, “The agronomists each thanked me personally, not only on behalf of themselves but on behalf of their country. It was truly heartwarming to help people who are so committed to learning and advancing.” 

      This story is brought to you by the  Office of Research and Graduate Studies.

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