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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Pickleball tournament supports cardiovascular wellness in the community

by Kelly Belcher

The second annual Hearts and Paddles Pickleball Tournament raised more than $30,000 for the Pulse3 Endowment for Community Cardiovascular Health. These funds will be used to support cardiovascular wellness programs, community education, and research in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Steve Vance, M.D., is the executive director of the Pulse3 Endowment, which continues the legacy of promoting healthy living, learning and lifesaving in the region. “We don’t have the health outcomes we want in the region; as a population, we have more chronic illness than other counties in Michigan, and much of that is due to the obesity epidemic.” Dr. Vance focused on the importance of physical activity for maintaining heart health. “Any activity is good activity. If you can do 15-20 minutes a day, that’s a great start in terms of regular exercise. We chose to focus on pickleball for this event because of its popularity and accessibility to such a wide range of social demographics. It’s not as hard on your body as other sports yet still gets your heart rate up--plus there is a social element that is so important.”

This year’s event was expanded to two days to accommodate nearly 300% growth. Tournament action took place on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15 at Garber Courts in Saginaw, Michigan. Over 220 players came out to participate in the tournament which included brackets for Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles competition. In total, 364 pickleball games were played!

A community Health Expo, co-hosted with the Saginaw County Medical Society, was held Saturday morning during the tournament. Attendees could receive flu shots, blood pressure and diabetes, screenings and be connected with other local wellness resources. On Saturday night, the courts were open for community play offering free lessons and pickup games for people of all skill levels and anyone interested in learning more about pickleball.

The 2024 Hearts and Paddles Pickleball Tournament was powered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and hosted by the Pulse3 Endowment in conjunction with BWell Saginaw and the Urban Racquet Sports Foundation. Major event sponsors included Advanced Radiology Services, Aventric Technologies, Bierlein Demolition, Covenant HealthCare, Garber Automotive, MyMichigan Health, and the Saginaw Spirit.