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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Forums set for College of Medicine post finalists

by Sanjay Gupta

Central Michigan University’s College of Medicine sets open candidate forums for senior associate dean of research.

Three finalists have been chosen to interview on campus for the position of senior associate dean of research for Central Michigan University's College of Medicine.

The selected candidate will replace current Senior Associate Dean of Research Ed McKee, who will return to his faculty role as a professor of foundational sciences.

The following open forums will give the CMU community an opportunity to meet each candidate.

Monday, Feb. 17: Ramani Ramchandran

Ramchandran is on staff at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he is the Patrick J. and Margaret G. McMahon endowed professor of obstetrics and gynecology, vice chair for research in OB-GYN, and professor in the Department of Pediatrics. He also is director of the medical student summer research program on campus and directs a developmental vascular biology program in the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. His forum is scheduled from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in room 2403 of the College of Medicine Building.

Thursday, Feb. 20: Jason Mateika

Mateika, a respiratory physiologist, is the associate chair for research in the Department of Internal Medicine and a tenured professor in the Department of Physiology at Wayne State University. He also is a career research scientist in the Department of Veterans Affairs. His forum is scheduled from 11 a.m.-noon in room 2150 of the Health Professions Building.

Tuesday, March 17: Jacob Warren

Warren is the Rufus C. Harris endowed chair and director of the Center for Rural Health and Health Disparities in the Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Georgia, where he also serves as the associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion; professor and vice chair for research in the Department of Community Medicine; and is founding director of the doctorate in Rural Health Sciences program. His forum is scheduled from 11 a.m.-noon in room 2403 of the College of Medicine Building.

Dr. George Kikano, College of Medicine dean and vice president of health affairs, chaired the 10-member search committee.