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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.

      Hackathon: Reimagine sparks ideas for the future

      by Jessica Meyers

      The second annual Hackathon: Reimagine brought Central Michigan University students together from various majors this past weekend to construct innovative solutions on how to improve CMU’s campus.

      During this event, more than 90 students representing 25 majors and five academic colleges gathered in Grawn Hall for the 24-hour problem solving competition. Participants competed in one of four unique categories: on-campus navigation for students and visitors; personal information privacy and security; sports health and technology; and student debt resolution.

      Engineering graduate student Shashwat Maharjan participated in the competition for a second time.

      “I enjoy participating in the hackathon because it allows me to make connections with various people across campus and hear ideas they have to different solutions. It allows me to push myself to see how effective of an idea I can create,” Maharjan said.

      Maharjan’s team took first in their category for developing an inclusive campus navigation app that makes it easier for those facing language barriers, visual impairments or hearing deficiencies. In addition, they plan to implement braille on campus sidewalks.

      The university’s prestigious New Venture Challenge presents the opportunity for students to further their ideas and compete for additional funding.

      Events

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      Questions?

      Contact the team