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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.
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.
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.
