Start up
Build up your venture idea.
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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.
Continued Growth at CMU Online
by
Jaime Griffis
CMU Online reports a notable increase in enrollment markers, underscoring the growing popularity of online programs coupled with the personal attention provided to students through the Online Student Services team.
This year, there is an across-the-board increase in applications and admittance in graduate degree-seeking students. Spring graduate applications increased by 37% over the spring 2022 semester, and admissions increased by 11%.
Undergraduate programs also saw positive spring results, with a 5% increase in applications and a 6% increase in admissions in the same timeframe. This comes on the heels of an outstanding fall where increases in application and admissions soared by 56% and 57%, respectively.
In fall 2022, the Online Student Services (OSS) team reorganized into a program-centered model to support students throughout their academic journey. Students now receive regular communications like emails, texts, and phone calls from their OSS team. Personalized support is what keeps students on track to reaching their goals. Since implementation, undergraduate first-time enrolled students saw the largest semester-to-semester (fall 2022 to spring 2023) retention increase in 10 years at nearly 79%.
New fully-online certificate and degree programs are continually being added to the CMU Online portfolio. Programs launching this summer and fall 2023 include:
- Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies & Community Inclusion
- BS in Education: Teaching Grades PK-6, 2+CMU transfer program in partnership with six community colleges
- MA Higher Education Administration & Social Justice
- Graduate Certificate in Equity Centered Teaching & Learning
- Accelerated MA Special Education in conjunction with the Bachelor of Science in Community Development for students wanting to complete a bachelor’s degree and then go on to earn K12 special education teacher certification with the cognitive impairment endorsement
For more information on all CMU Online programs, visit: cmich.edu/online
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.
