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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.
Leading toward a career in law
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A prestigious civic leadership award will play an important role in helping Central Michigan University student Aaliyah Howard achieve her goal of becoming a judge.
Howard, a junior from Wyandotte, was named a 2023-24 Newman Civic Fellow. She aspires to a career in law and says CMU is playing a vital role in her professional development.
“This journey to help others, especially people of color, is why I want to become a lawyer,” Howard said. “There is much work to be done and that work started for me the day I stepped foot on campus.”
Some of that work took place at The LeaderShape Institute. LeaderShape is a four-day retreat that teaches students to lead with integrity while achieving success.
Howard was a student coordinator for LeaderShape and a Leader Advancement Scholar, said Jennifer Drevon, associate director of the Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute.
She also participated in IMPACT, a two-and-a-half-day event that seeks to improve the CMU experience for traditionally underrepresented students. After serving as a mentor, Howard is currently a mentor coordinator.
Howard is also involved in the Student Advocates for Prison Reform and the Incarcerated, the Coalition of Black Empowerment, Black Girls Rock and the Women’s Initiative of Strength and Hope. She was also a model for the Office of Black Unity’s fashion show.
“Aaliyah is amazing, passionate about making the world a better place,” Drevon said. “She gives so much of herself to make CMU a welcoming and accepting community, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to work with her these last couple of years.”
Howard joins a 2023-24 group of 154 fellows from 38 states and Mexico.
The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes students who stand out for their commitment to creating positive change. Fellows are nominated by their university president or chancellor based on their potential for public leadership.
The organization was named for the late Frank Newman, an advocate for civic engagement in higher education and one of the founders of Campus Compact.
Signature Programs
Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
Explore special opportunities to learn new skills and travel the world.
Compete & Win
New Venture Challenge 2025
Present your venture and win BIG at the New Venture Challenge.
Build your skills
Workshops and events
Boost your entrepreneurial skills through our workshops, mentor meetups and pitch competitions.
Develop your ideas
IDEA Den
Learn about the entrepreneurship makerspace on campus in Grawn Hall.
Ready, Set, Pitch!
Make-A-Pitch 2024
Present a 2-minute pitch at the Make-A-Pitch Competition and you could win prizes and bragging rights!
Meet Mentors
Mentorship and support
Connect with mentors and faculty who are here to support the next generation of CMU entrepreneurs.
Support students
Make an impact
Are you a CMU alum looking to support CMU student entrepreneurs? Learn how you can support or donate to the Entrepreneurship Institute.
View our programming newsletter
Alumni give back to students through mentorship, real-world experiences
The Wakeling Gendron Entrepreneurial Scholars program wrapped its first cohort this academic year.
Students compete to win cash prizes at the New Venture Challenge
Pitched 40 ventures at NMV Challenge, Friday, April 19, CMU. Judges awarded $100,000 in cash prizes.
Wakeling Gendron Scholars make a life-changing trip to Texas
Wakeling and Gendron Scholars attended SXSW in Texas, meeting industry leaders and gaining entrepreneurial insights.
Business barriers lead CMU students to a new venture
Justin Ashman and Philip Mundt won Central Michigan University's New Venture Competition with their 3-D printing operation, Form Further.
