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.

Learn more

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.

Learn more

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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School of Music highlight reel

by Sanjna Jassi

The Central Michigan University School of Music highlights the accomplishments of students and faculty.

Students and faculty in the School of Music aren't letting classes slow them down. The school recently recognized the accomplishments its community has made so far in the fall semester.

Students

Sepehr Pirasteh was commissioned to compose a cello quartet for the Detroit Composers Project. His "Sacrifice for Brothers" for string orchestra was performed by Argentina's Orquestra Criança Cidadã.
CMU's Zenith Saxophone Quartet performed by invitation at the Michigan Music Teachers Association annual conference in Novi, Michigan.

Faculty

Jay Batzner spent two days as a guest composter at Missouri Western State University, teaching composition lessons and presenting his creative work.
Lindabeth Binkley performed as principal oboe at the Lexington Bach Festival and with the Flint Symphony Orchestra.
Mark Cox attended the 33rd annual Leonard Falcone International Euphonium and Tuba Festival as a judge for the tuba artist division. Cox also was accepted to co-present with colleague Patty Welch at the 2019 Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Keith Clifton was appointed program chair of the American Musicological Society Midwest Chapter for 2018-19.
Scott Harding's band, Iron Fist, and its song "Does It Take Two" was selected from 300 entries to be featured on an Australian radio station.
Neil Mueller performed with the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra and with a chamber ensemble at the University of Michigan.
Alicia Valoti was named principal viola for the Midland Symphony Orchestra and the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra for the 2018-19 season.
Evan Ware's work "American Apocalypse!" premiered on Oct. 4 in Staples Family Concert Hall and was performed by guest trumpeter Ivano Ascari and Neil Mueller. It was recorded for commercial release in Ascari's CD collection "New Music for Trumpet."
Tracy Watson sang the "Britten Canticle II: Abraham and Isaac" at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as part of its homecoming concert.
Adrienne Wiley presided over the Michigan Music Teachers State Conference in Novi, Michigan, and has been invited to become the East Central Division Competitions Coordinator for Music Teacher's National Association.