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.

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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Shining a light on the world of media

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Central Michigan University’s Department of Journalism will host Sunshine Week on campus to celebrate media literacy and to promote careers in journalism. Celebrated nationally since 2005, Sunshine Week promotes open government and freedom of information. Beginning March 14, participants can attend sessions featuring alumni industry professionals and guest speakers from prominent organizations across Michigan to encourage transparency in local government.

The week also includes Journalism Rocks, a workshop and recruiting event. The three sessions on March 19 are designed for high school students interested in the fields of journalism, communication and media, and allow them to learn from both CMU students and industry professionals virtually or on campus.

Industry insight and connections

Both events are the result of a collaborative effort among numerous campus organizations, CMU faculty members and students. Michael Livingston, a CMU senior and the editor in chief for Central Michigan Life, is participating in the planning process for Sunshine Week and Journalism Rocks this year. 

As a high school student, this event helped Livingston decide to attend college because he was able to meet college students doing the work that he envisioned himself doing one day.

“Journalism Rocks gives high school students the chance to learn about journalism and see how it’s done here,” said Livingston. “I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have as I’m about to graduate without making those connections through networking. Students are going to have plenty of those opportunities during Sunshine Week.”

Livingston said he is particularly excited about a session that examines how diversity shapes the newsroom and the content people consume daily.

Kirkland Crawford, 2006 CMU graduate and a sports editor for Detroit Free Press, is the keynote speaker for Journalism Rocks and a speaker for the Sunshine Week Diversity in Your News and Newsrooms session.

“This session is about understanding the difference between diversity and inclusion,” said Crawford. “Diversity is when you’re in the room, but inclusion is when you’re involved in the conversation.”  

Crawford said he sees these events as an opportunity for students to gain exposure to the profession and to get to know working professionals.

“There are a lot of lessons that are too hard to learn within a classroom setting. I find myself continuing to participate in both events for this reason,” said Crawford. “As professionals, we must share our knowledge with the next generation. Knowledge is power.” 

Let the sunshine in

“CMU continues to be one of the best schools in the state to become a media professional,” Livingston said.

Livingston said more information about each event is available on the CMU Sunshine Week 2022 Facebook page and the Journalism Rocks at Central Michigan University Facebook page.

Sunshine Week sessions are open to everyone and no registration is required. The deadline for Journalism Rocks registration is Tuesday, March 8, for high school students.