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.

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Innovation

Explore your ideas and build your skills.

Learn more

Internships with purpose at Special Olympics Michigan

by Sanjna Jassi

Accepting an internship with Special Olympics Michigan allows CMU students to pursue a passion for inclusion while gaining valuable professional skills.

The Special Olympics Michigan State Summer Games is one of the largest events on Central Michigan University's campus each year, and CMU students play a key role in making it happen.

Kellie Murphy, manager of sports and wellness at Special Olympics Michigan, said event organizers managed more than 3,000 athletes and coaches, more than 600 volunteers, thousands of spectators and supporters, multiple event sites, and what felt like millions of little logistical details.

Scenes from the games

Thousands of athletes, spectators, coaches and volunteers filled campus May 30-June 1 for the Special Olympics Michigan State Summer Games.
CMU leadership training helps Michigan high schoolers present Unified Sports Day.

To keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes, Murphy relied heavily on CMU student interns and volunteers. They had a wide range of tasks including researching, recruiting, training and communicating with volunteers; planning and running 12-week fitness programs; setup and teardown during events; and much more.

"My interns are given projects that they are 100% responsible for, and they are learning things they need to know for their future careers, such as how to plan an event from start to finish, how to prioritize tasks, and how to work in a fast-paced and stressful environment," she said.

For students who are passionate about diversity and inclusion, working with Special Olympics Michigan was the perfect opportunity to build professional skills while making a difference for others. Here's a look at just a few of the CMU students who worked hard to create a great experience for athletes, coaches and families this year.

Fit, healthy and happy

Cut-quinnwellness — "Everyone in the office has so much passion and so much love for the athletes. I know I am making a difference when I'm there."

Who Quinn Keilen, senior majoring in clinical exercise science.

What Keilen assisted with planning and leading the Healthy Athletes program, meeting one-on-one with athletes to talk about wellness and providing free health screenings to Special Olympics Michigan athletes during the games.

Empowering younger leaders

cut-tessa — "Everyone has the ability to be a leader, regardless of their label or identity. These students have the ability to create real change."

Who Tessa Hollister, senior majoring in recreation with an event management concentration and minoring in child development and leadership.

What Hollister encouraged high school students to realize their inner leader and positively impact their communities through the Unified Sports Leadership Launch program.

Small tasks make big events possible

cut-Carleeattable — "Every job matters here. Small tasks lead to big tasks. Without that work, the big summer games would not be possible."

Who Carlee Harrington, senior majoring in sport management.

What Harrington helped with behind-the-scenes operations such as assembling mailings; communicating with coaches, athletes and participants; and day-of-event logistics.