Start up
Build up your venture idea.
Learn more
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.
The social side of genius: How programs can empower gifted youth
by
Teagan Haynes
Gifted students may excel in the classroom, but many quietly struggle with challenges far beyond test scores. Difficulty connecting with those around them and a heightened risk of bullying are common hurdles for these young learners. Hoping to bring awareness to these issues, Fatimah Khan, a senior public health student at Central Michigan University, set out to identify best practices on how to support the social and emotional development of gifted youth.
Researching gifted programs around the world, Khan found that specialized programs providing gifted students with experiences that go beyond the basic elementary school curriculum helped to improve social maturity and self-concept.
Additionally, Khan found that supportive family dynamics play pivotal roles in improving student outcomes by nurturing both academic success and emotional well-being. "A lot of gifted young people think differently than their peers and can feel isolated," Khan explained. "Our research highlights how these programs can positively shape their social development."
Khan’s efforts resulted in co-authorship of a recently published article alongside her mentor, School of Health Sciences professor Frank Snyder, Ph.D., which was published in Gifted Education International. "It was a great opportunity to get involved in research and writing," Khan said reflecting on months of intensive literature review and analysis.
Khan’s dedication to research also earned her a 2025 President's Award for Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishments, recognizing her meaningful contributions to the field.
For Khan, the project reinforced the vital role research plays in bridging the gap between theory and real-world impact, ultimately helping to build healthier, more inclusive communities. Acknowledging that there’s still a gap in understanding how these programs impact psychosocial behavior, she hopes to continue exploring the field. Upon graduation, Khan will pursue her Master of Public Health degree at Emory University.
Signature Programs
Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
Explore special opportunities to learn new skills and travel the world.
Compete & Win
New Venture Challenge 2025
Present your venture and win BIG at the New Venture Challenge.
Build your skills
Workshops and events
Boost your entrepreneurial skills through our workshops, mentor meetups and pitch competitions.
Develop your ideas
IDEA Den
Learn about the entrepreneurship makerspace on campus in Grawn Hall.
Ready, Set, Pitch!
Make-A-Pitch 2024
Present a 2-minute pitch at the Make-A-Pitch Competition and you could win prizes and bragging rights!
Meet Mentors
Mentorship and support
Connect with mentors and faculty who are here to support the next generation of CMU entrepreneurs.
Support students
Make an impact
Are you a CMU alum looking to support CMU student entrepreneurs? Learn how you can support or donate to the Entrepreneurship Institute.
View our programming newsletter
Alumni give back to students through mentorship, real-world experiences
The Wakeling Gendron Entrepreneurial Scholars program wrapped its first cohort this academic year.
Students compete to win cash prizes at the New Venture Challenge
Pitched 40 ventures at NMV Challenge, Friday, April 19, CMU. Judges awarded $100,000 in cash prizes.
Wakeling Gendron Scholars make a life-changing trip to Texas
Wakeling and Gendron Scholars attended SXSW in Texas, meeting industry leaders and gaining entrepreneurial insights.
Business barriers lead CMU students to a new venture
Justin Ashman and Philip Mundt won Central Michigan University's New Venture Competition with their 3-D printing operation, Form Further.
