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

Introducing CMU Innovation and Online

by User Not Found

As demand grows for greater flexibility in higher education, Central Michigan University is positioning itself to remain a leader in innovative online learning.

Throughout CMU’s Strategic Envisioning Process, launched in 2019, faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners have discussed the need to redefine and strengthen CMU’s off-campus and online programs.

Based on their findings and recommendations, CMU has restructured its Global Campus to create a new academic unit called CMU Innovation and Online. The name was approved by the CMU Board of Trustees during its June meeting.

The new unit, housed in the provost’s division, will be funded using existing Global Campus resources.

“We have pooled existing positions and resources that were spread across the university and consolidated them into this new division,” Davies said. “This will increase efficiency and efficacy as we pursue our new goals and priorities.”

Goals and growth

CMU has been a leader in distance education and online learning for more than 50 years; however, it must continue to adapt to meet changing student needs and to align with emerging trends, Davies said.

The new academic unit will be future-oriented, inclusive and, most importantly, student-centered.

“Student success is our number one priority, for our students on campus as well as for those who may never come to Mount Pleasant,” Davies said. “We must ensure we provide the outstanding academic programs and services our students need and deserve, regardless of their location or preferred learning modality.”

CMU has identified several immediate priorities and tentative goals for the year ahead, including:

Analyze CMU’s current online offerings and processes for Prior Learning Assessment.
Expand partnerships with business, industry and community organizations to identify and address employee skill gaps.
Develop stackable degrees and competency-based educational programs.
Expand non-credit courses, training and workshops to meet the needs of adult learners seeking to upskill or reskill throughout their careers.
Build upon CMU’s strong history of serving U.S. military service members and veterans.

In addition, CMU Innovation and Online will partner with University Communications to launch the new unit’s online presence and to assist with marketing new programs later this year.

Kirby to lead new unit

President Davies appointed Elizabeth “Betty” Kirby to lead the new unit. Kirby will serve as the first vice president of CMU Innovation and Online.

Prior to this appointment, Kirby served as interim dean of the College of the Arts and Media, a position she accepted in 2020 following the retirement of the former dean, Janet Hethorn. Kirby had previously served as dean of the College of Education and Human Services.

“Dr. Kirby is a proven transformational leader at CMU who has strong leadership abilities, the respect of the necessary internal constituencies, and the external acumen to be successful,” Davies said. “She has demonstrated outstanding commitment to serving students and I know she will do so with clear vision and unparalleled enthusiasm for the opportunities ahead.”

Kirby has been a member of the CMU community since 2004 when she joined the faculty in the educational leadership department. During her tenure at CMU, she also has served as a department chair, associate dean and senior associate dean/director of professional education.

Kirby is a two-time CMU graduate, earning both a doctoral degree in education and a master’s degree in reading at the university. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Drake University.

She has been actively engaged in the process to reimagine CMU’s off-campus and online programs and served as a co-convener of pathway five in the Strategic Envisioning Process.