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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Through months of work and creativity, hundreds of elementary, middle and high school students demonstrated their passion for history through competing at the 2025 Michigan History Day state finals at Central Michigan University in April.

Michigan History Day (MHD), an affiliate of the National History Day (NHD) program and managed by the Historical Society of Michigan, encourages students to conduct in-depth research on historical topics of their choice, based on an annual theme. Students then present their findings to a panel of judges in the form of exhibits, documentaries, performances, websites, or papers.

A trifold display featuring images of Susan B. Anthony and a large cutout image of her holding a sign — Student's display featuring Susan B. Anthony at the Michigan History Day state finals.

In addition to academic growth, MHD helps to promote confidence, public speaking skills, and collaboration. For many students, it is a way to explore cultural and family heritage or dig into local history that connects directly with their lives and communities.

Out of the 450 student participants, 70 students in the junior and senior divisions will advance to the National History Day finals in June at the University of Maryland. The national stage allows participants to compete with their peers from across the country and potentially earn scholarships and national recognition. National History Day also honors teachers for their dedication to helping their students succeed.

A Michigan History Day participant presents a paper to two judges while seated and facing each other at a table.. — A student presents a paper to judges during the Michigan History Day state finals April 19 at Central Michigan University.

This is the third year CMU hosted the event on campus. Staff with the Historical Society of Michigan collaborated closely with the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences to make the event a memorable experience for the more than 800 guests attending the competition.

For some students, this was their first visit to a college campus. Ron Bloomfield, Interim Director of the CMU Museum, says MHD is a great way to highlight campus resources. Families visited the Clarke Historical Library, Park Library and Baber Room gallery, the University Art Gallery, the CMU Greenhouse, and dining services.

"Michigan History Day provides CMU with a unique opportunity to showcase our academic programs, campus, and culture to a vast group of prospective students and hopefully influence their future college plans toward the maroon and gold," said Bloomfield.

All participants leave with a deeper understanding of history, and the event is a way for them to not only celebrate their academic achievements, but also spark curiosity, build community, and inspire the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and storytellers.

The CMU Museum and the College of Liberal Arts are, once again, proud to partner with the Historical Society of Michigan to help play a role in supporting that journey.