A student standing and speaking in front of a large crowd in French Auditorium.

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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Fashion, Merchandising, and Design graduate student Kaleigh Slot from Charlotte, Michigan, under the guidance of her faculty advisor Su Kyoung An, presented innovative research at the International Textile & Apparel Association Annual Conference. Titled "Adaptive Clothing for Cushioning the Slips, Trips, and Falls of Elderly Women," delves into the crucial realm of preventing injuries resulting from falls among elderly adults.

Falls are a primary cause of injury in the elderly population, leading to various health issues. While medical alert systems can aid in calling for help post-fall, the injury has already occurred. Slot's research addresses the potential of mitigating these injuries through thoughtful clothing choices. The study explores discreetly padded designs with built-in emergency call devices.

Slot's creative exploration centers on discreetly incorporating padding into tops and bottoms, specifically designed to appeal to elderly women. The primary goal is to cushion the wearer during a fall and integrate a built-in emergency call device.

Functionality is a key aspect of the proposed clothing designs. They include padding to soften falls, comfortable styles suitable for both indoor and outdoor wear, easy access to an emergency contact device, and practical pockets for essential items.

Slot's work opens avenues for further study and development in the realm of adaptive clothing for the elderly, potentially revolutionizing the approach to fall prevention in this demographic.

Source: Lori Peterson

Media Contact: Tanya Domina, Chair, Fashion, Interior Design, & Merchandising