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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.

      Readying for ‘Ragtime’

      by Sanjna Jassi
      CMU students, faculty and staff work together to perform the Tony Award-winning musical “Ragtime” in Bush Theatre Nov. 6-10.

      Wrap-Jim_3University Theatre will present “Ragtime,” a Tony Award-winning musical dealing with discrimination and social inequality in the United States at the turn of the 20th century.

      Directed and choreographed by theater faculty member Annette Thornton, “Ragtime” follows the story of three diverse families in New York City and how their lives intertwine.

      Grand Blanc, Michigan, senior Lois Reeves, who plays Sarah, recognizes the relevance of the show’s themes in today’s society.

      It’s a story the audience will be able to relate to and connect with no matter their age,” Reeves said.

      Alpena, Michigan, junior Lillian Broad, who plays Mother, notes that preparing for the show requires her to explore and deeply understand the character she plays.

      “I have loved being able to explore the deep, profound emotions that drive her self-sacrificing actions,” Broad said. “While it has been difficult, delving into these very vulnerable, emotionally driven moments in the show has been incredibly rewarding.”

      Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Nov 6-9 and 2 p.m. Nov. 10 in Bush Theatre. Tickets are available online through CMU Ticket Central and at the box office.

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      Questions?

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