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.

Learn more

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.

Learn more

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.

Learn more

Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

Learn more

The inspirational journey from student to audiologist, advocate and author

by Kathleen Hodgkins

After being born with profound sensorineural hearing loss, Dr. Jasmine Simmons received her cochlear implant when she was two years old. Later at the age of seven, she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive eye condition, which ultimately led to a diagnosis of Usher Syndrome, a diagnosis that involves hearing and vision loss. Despite these diagnoses, Dr. Simmons never wanted her disability to hold her back. Her dream was to be an audiologist, so that’s exactly what she did!

Dr. Simmons graduated from the University of Akron with her bachelor’s degree and then earned her Doctorate of Audiology in May 2020 from Central Michigan University. Dr. Simmons truly values the ability to help others with similar conditions to hers but also realized more recently that there is a gap in the information about disability and accessibility. As a result, she took this opportunity to spread awareness about disabilities through motivational speaking.

Beyond her roles as an audiologist and advocate, Dr. Simmons has added another title to her repertoire: children's book author. Her debut work, 'Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears,' draws inspiration from a young girl she met during her own cochlear implant journey. Through this tale, Dr. Simmons illustrates that while children with disabilities face challenges, embracing their uniqueness empowers them to overcome obstacles and realize their dreams.

In addition to her determination, Central Michigan University played a pivotal role in Dr. Simmons's journey, with steadfast support from her professors fueling her success.

Extraordinary Jordyn and her Bionic Ears is now available! For hardback, you can purchase the book at Dr. Simmons' website. For paperback, you can purchase the book on Amazon!