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.

Learn more

Students learn healthy eating habits at the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center

by Kathleen Hodgkins

Dr. Jeff Fisher, along with Nutrition and Dietetics students Ana Silvia Ferreira Roberto DaMatta and Kaitlyn Frisch, hosted a meal prep demonstration for a group of College of Medicine students at the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

The session focused on making nutritious eating accessible and manageable for busy individuals. Throughout the demonstration, Dr. Fisher and the students guided attendees through the steps of preparing a healthful, balanced meal using simple ingredients. They emphasized how meal prepping can be a valuable tool for anyone, especially for those in high-pressure fields like medicine, to prioritize nutrition without compromising time or taste.

The featured meal included a refreshing mixed berry-kefir smoothie and a Mediterranean-inspired power bowl. The power bowl featured nutrient-dense ingredients such as quinoa tabbouleh, baby kale, hummus, edamame, roasted beets, organic carrots, avocado, sunflower seeds, and a tangy tahini vinaigrette, showcasing the ease of incorporating wholesome foods into daily routines.

"This event was not only a fun, interactive experience but also an opportunity to engage future healthcare professionals with practical tools they can use to promote better nutrition in their personal lives and their practices," said Dr. Fisher. "We hope the students walk away feeling inspired to take control of their health and incorporate simple, delicious meals into their busy schedules."

The event brought together students from the College of Medicine for a fun and educational evening, fostering collaboration between the fields of medicine, nutrition, and dietetics. Participants were encouraged to experiment with their own meal prep ideas and were provided with tips on how to adapt recipes to suit their preferences and dietary needs.

This event was part of the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center's ongoing mission to support healthy living through accessible, enjoyable cooking and nutrition education.

For information about the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center, please get in touch with the Director, Dr. Jeff Fisher, at fishe2jj@cmich.edu. To learn more about the Nutrition and Dietetics program and course offerings, please get in touch with program director Dr. Najat Yehia at yahia1n@cmich.edu.