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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.

      Experience in the newsroom leads to career success

      by Vivek Rawat
      Central Michigan University alum Adam Graham ties his career success back to answering a CM Life ad in fall 1996.

      For a majority of his career, Central Michigan University alum Adam Graham has been asking the questions. This week the Detroit News film critic’s role was flipped as he met with journalism students in the College of the Arts and Media.

      Graham took the interrogation in stride, happy to be able to share his story and connect with current students.

      “I want to be involved in any way that I can, to tell them about what I’ve been able to do in my career because of my experience at Central Michigan Life,” Graham said. “I am totally grateful for my experience here on campus, because I’ve been able to have this incredible career.”

      Graham’s journey began in fall 1996, answering a CM Life ad for a film critic position. Within moments of walking into the office, he was assigned to review “A Very Brady Sequel,” and by the following Monday, he was an official CM Lifer.

      Graham often attributes his success to his time at CMU and hopes that by visiting campus he can serve as a resource for current students.

      “I know that my career came from here, came from being a student on this campus,” Graham said. “I was able to walk into the student newspaper that first day and have a one-on-one connection with my professors.”

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      Questions?

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