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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.
Fashion through the elements
by
Logan Pellegrom
Each spring, the Threads Fashion Show gives Central Michigan University students a platform to create, display and celebrate their work with the community. The show is not only an opportunity for Fashion Merchandising and Design students, it also is a hands-on experience for multiple university programs.
Nearly 200 students are involved in organizing and running the show, including those enrolled in CMU’s Fashion Show Production and Promotion course. Since 2016, the show has also included dietetics and event management students taking the Catering for the Foodservice Events class, which leads the execution of the event’s VIP reception.
Jeffrey Fisher, a faculty member in nutrition and dietetics who leads the catering class, said the event is unique because it gives students a chance to apply what they are learning in the classroom to a real-life experience while also giving back to the community.
“It is an interdisciplinary event,” Fisher said. “We have students from across the university in fashion merchandising, interior design, nutrition and dietetics, event management, broadcasting and cinematic arts. They all get to work together to make this event a reality.”
Kate Castillenti, a student producer of Threads Fashion Show, said students from all areas can play a role in the event’s production — and gain the satisfaction of creating something unique.
“Whether it is journalism, photography, model management, finance management, or even looking through garments, there's a place for everybody,” she said. “I'm excited to put on something that I know the designers and models will never forget. Knowing that you're creating something that's going to be a memory for everybody is a super cool feeling.”
The Threads Fashion Show opens at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2 in the Education and Human Services building. Tickets are available online for general admission, with special pricing for students and virtual attendees.
View a photo gallery from the 2022 Threads Fashion Show on Facebook or Instagram.
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.
