Start up
Build up your venture idea.
Learn more
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.
New Alumni Awards of Distinction recognize grads
by
Sanjay Gupta
CMU’s inaugural College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Awards of Distinction recognize four outstanding alumni.
Central Michigan University's inaugural College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Alumni Awards of Distinction recognize four outstanding alumni who promote the public good, are highly skilled practitioners in their field, make a positive impact with a global reach, and have contributed to our understanding of the human condition through their scholarly or creative endeavor.
Marcella Richardson is the recipient of the CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Public Service. Richardson is the director of operations for U.S. Sen. Gary Peters and a blogger, motivational speaker and mentor. She received a Master of Public Administration degree from CMU in 2011.
Eric Bartelink is the recipient of the CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Professional Practice. As co-director of the California State University, Chico, Human Identification Laboratory and the Stable Isotope Preparation Laboratory, Bartelink works at one of the world's most renowned forensic labs. He earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology and history from CMU in 1995.
Emily Rickert is the recipient of the CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Global Engagement. In addition to motivational speaking, Rickert is the founder of the Hope for the Neema-Huruma Foundation in Kenya and the co-founder of Lasting Smiles Uganda. The nonprofits support and build facilities for children in Africa. She earned a master's degree in political science from CMU in December 2011 and a bachelor's degree in comparative politics and international relations with a minor in legal studies in 2009.
Cajetan Iheka is the recipient of the CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Scholarly Activity. One of the world's prolific scholars in the area of African ecological literature, Iheka received a Master of Applied Arts degree in English language and literature from CMU in 2011.
CLASS faculty nominated more than 50 exceptional alumni from their respective programs, and a committee of CLASS students and staff selected the recipients. CLASS will host an awards ceremony this fall to recognize the winners.
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.
