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.

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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.

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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.

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New updates simplify and streamline CMU’s housing website

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Central Michigan University will launch a completely redesigned residence life website on the evening of January 9. This comprehensive overhaul aims to streamline the user experience for everyone seeking information about on-campus living at CMU.

“We are excited for the launch of our redesigned website," said Michelle Veith, interim director of residence life. "We believe it will enhance the experience of our students and their supporters who are seeking information by providing them with an easier, positive and more informative experience.”

Boosting branded content and user-friendly functionality

The new housing website prioritizes students’ and supporters’ needs by offering a more intuitive and visually appealing experience. The updated site features:

Refreshed content: Branded, streamlined and search engine-optimized content delivers clear and concise information about student housing options and what it feels like to live on campus.
Improved navigation: A new information architecture (IA) makes finding crucial details about residence halls, amenities and the application process easier.
Mobile-first design: Because students rely heavily on mobile devices, the site is designed to deliver a straightforward experience on all devices.

A streamlined journey for all users

A priority of this redesign effort was simplifying the experience all users will have on the website. The new site represents a 35% reduction in the total number of pages. It factors in what data and analytics show each audience type is looking for from a housing website.

Prospective students will gain a comprehensive overview of CMU's vibrant living communities, including virtual tours and detailed descriptions of rooms and amenities.
Current students can easily access information about assigned housing, explore room change options and find answers to frequently asked questions.
Parents and supporters will stay informed about the housing experience at CMU, including campus safety resources and support services available to students.

Committed to constant improvement

The new housing site is the latest digital enhancement demonstrating CMU’s dedication to continuously monitor user engagement and website performance to find areas for improvement. Last June was another example, when the admissions and aid website was revamped based on similar analysis and goals.

"As our students' and families' main source of information, we're focused on continuously improving their experience with our website," said Abby Dean, CMU's deputy chief marketing officer. "We're grateful for the partnerships throughout the university that allow us to do this work."