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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.

      Collecting accolades

      by Sanjna Jassi
      CMU photojournalism student Josie Norris won third place in the photojournalism category of the Hearst Journalism Awards.

      Central Michigan University senior photojournalism student Josie Norris has been taking pictures since she was 12 years old. Once she discovered exactly what photojournalism was, she knew that was the career she wanted to pursue.

      “I really enjoy photographing unposed moments,” Norris said.

      Nominated by CMU photojournalism professor Kent Miller, Norris entered the photojournalism category of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program last fall. The competition, which allows only two students to submit work per school, has categories for writing, photojournalism, radio, television and multimedia. Norris submitted eight news and feature photos she took in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and San Antonio, Texas.

      Competing against 127 entries from across the nation, Norris was awarded third place, which earned a $1,500 scholarship for both her and to CMU. She now will compete against nine other semifinalists.

      Along with encouragement from Miller, Norris found support from CMU alum Jake May, Sean Proctor and Andrew Whitaker. She recognizes the importance in searching out mentors for your passions.

      Submissions for the semifinals of the competition are due by April 19, which gives Norris only a few short months to select which photos to submit and perhaps to take and edit new images.

      “We’re able to submit photos taken this semester, which is a big inspiration to keep working,” Norris said.

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      Questions?

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