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.

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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.

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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.

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Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

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Cotter named interim vice president for advancement

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Central Michigan University President Bob Davies today announced the appointment of Jennifer Cotter as interim vice president for advancement.

Cotter, previously executive director of development and campaign, has been with the university for a total of 16 years and has been leading advancement and campaign initiatives throughout that time.

“Jennifer has been a vital member of the CMU community for years, first as a student and then as a valuable leader in our advancement and campaign efforts,” Davies said. “She knows and loves this university and has demonstrated outstanding leadership in efforts to build CMU’s culture of philanthropy.”

Following the departure of CMU’s previous vice president for advancement, Cotter was named a co-leader of CMU’s advancement and alumni engagement efforts, with Marcie Otteman, executive director of alumni relations and constituent engagement. She also held leadership roles in advancement including planned and major gifts officer and director of development for the College of Education and Human Services.

“As I transition into this role, I remain committed to empowering and engaging alumni and friends to CMU by building a lasting legacy of philanthropy that makes a positive impact on the lives of our students, faculty and academic programs,” Cotter said.

Cotter earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from CMU in 2001. She has been involved in several noteworthy fundraising efforts, including the historic Fire Up for Excellence capital campaign. She also completed the $7.5 million fundraising plan for the College of Education and Human Services building, securing an $800,000 Kresge Foundation challenge grant, and was campaign director for the university’s first comprehensive capital campaign, New Vision of Excellence.