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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.

      Manikin used to test comfortability of infant car seats

      by Henry Heller

      Mohammad Iftekharul Alam, a May 2023 graduate of Fashion, Interior Design, and Merchandising, studied how the shape and material of infant car seat covers impact the thermal comfort of infants in summer conditions.  

      As a thermal comfort researcher and car enthusiast, Alam was inspired to research this topic after discussing with his advisor, Professor Tanya Domina. The decision to focus on infant car seats also came from the department’s own “sweating, infant manikin named Lumi.” Alam says, “We took this opportunity because the infant manikin is fairly new to the industry and a lack of research has been done on the thermal comfort of the infants while they travel inside the car during summer conditions.”  

      In an exploratory experiment, Alam used Lumi and an environmental chamber to test infant car seats in different conditions. Additionally, a sweat-guarded hot plate and air permeability tester was utilized to test the seat covers.  

      As a result of his study, Alam suggests parents look for car seats with mesh or polyester blend fabrics because the material allows more airflow. Parents should avoid wool fabrics during the summer months, as they were the warmest and had the lowest air permeability. 

      Alam plans to work in the industry and continue to research thermal comfort of textile and apparel products. He also hopes to collaborate with CMU on research in the future to continue working with his faculty. Later, he plans to receive a Ph.D. and possibly become an instructor to work with new generations and use his knowledge in innovative research.  

      This story is brought to you by the  Office of Research and Graduate Studies.

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