A student standing and speaking in front of a large crowd in French Auditorium.

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

As part of an universitywide effort to increase civic engagement, Central Michigan University will host a meeting of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission on its campus Thursday, Sept. 23 — the same day it holds its annual Fire Up the Vote voter registration drive.

"Preparing students for responsible citizenship in a global society is part of the CMU mission," said Erica Johnson, director of the CMU Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center and member of the CMU Central Voter Coalition. "Registering to vote — and voting — are vital parts of active citizenship, and so is participating in events that increase our understanding of our community and the processes that shape our democracy."

The events are the result of a collaborative effort of several nonpartisan campus groups, including the volunteer center, the Central Votes registered student organization, and the Campus Election Engagement Project.

Drawing new voting maps

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is tasked with creating new maps for congressional, state Senate and state House districts that will impact voters for the next 10 years.

"The MICRC appreciates and believes that public engagement is necessary to draw fair maps," said MICRC Vice Chairperson MC Rothhorn. "We look forward to connecting with CMU students and the broader community in the Mount Pleasant area during our meetings next week."

The MICRC meeting will be held from 1-8 p.m. in Plachta Auditorium, with a one-hour break at 4 p.m. Individuals from CMU, Mount Pleasant and Isabella County can share their thoughts on the redistricting process, ask questions and hear from members of the commission.

Share your thoughts with MICRC

Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to provide testimony on the redistricting process with members of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission by:

Attending the meeting in person and providing live testimony.
Submitting written testimony using the MICRC online form.
viewing the meeting virtually and submitting comments later.

Fire Up the Vote

CMU's Fire Up the Vote event will be held from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the Bovee University Center.

The event will feature games, quizzes and — of course — the opportunity to register to vote, Johnson said. CMU student, faculty and staff leaders also will be available to answer questions about voting and other civic engagement opportunities throughout the year.

Source: Ari Harris