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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Newsweek names CMU among America’s Top Online Colleges for 2025

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Newsweek has named Central Michigan University to its list of America’s Top Online Colleges for 2025.

CMU ranks second among all Michigan public universities and is one of only five Michigan schools to receive a five-star award. Of the 250 schools ranked by Newsweek, CMU sits at #110 overall – up 42 spots from the 2024 rankings, and up 61 spots from 2023.

“CMU’s rise in Newsweek’s online rankings over the past three years is a direct reflection of our commitment to supporting online students,” said Kaleb Patrick, interim vice president for Innovation and Online. “In 2022, CMU established Innovation and Online as a dedicated unit to serve students choosing to pursue their education online. That commitment and investment are paying off for our students. I could not be prouder of the incredible work our team does in helping students achieve their dreams, no matter where they reside.”

The rankings are based on a survey of more than 10,000 online students across the country, as well as Newsweek’s own research into colleges and universities that offer undergraduate or graduate degrees online. User reviews and additional institutional indicators including graduation statistics, re-enrollment rates, students per instructor, and expenditures per student were transformed into score values and aggregated towards a final score.

Central Michigan University Online offers a variety of flexible and convenient programs designed to meet the needs of today’s diverse student population. With a commitment to academic excellence and student success, CMU Online provides an engaging learning experience that prepares students for career advancement and lifelong learning.