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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VP of finance candidates to visit CMU

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Three finalists for the position of vice president of finance and administrative services and chief financial officer will visit campus next week.

As the university’s CFO, the new head of the Finance and Administrative Services division will oversee several CMU departments — including Auxiliary Services, Facilities Management, Financial Planning and Budgets, Financial Services and Reporting, Human Resources, and CMU Police.

Faculty, staff and students will have the opportunity to hear from each candidate during open forums Nov. 14-16 from 1:15-2 p.m. Individuals may participate in person or via livestream. Seating for approximately 30 individuals is available in the Lake Superior Room inside the Bovee University Center.

Candidate resumes and open forum livestream links are posted on the Senior Officer Searches webpage. The livestreams for all candidates will be available at this site until Friday, Nov. 18 at 3 p.m.

Dates and details for the candidates’ visits:

Monday, Nov. 14: Jeremy Alltop

Jeremy Alltop currently serves as the chief financial officer and vice president of administration and finance at Northern Kentucky University. Prior to this leadership role, Alltop served as the vice president and chief financial and operating officer at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Alltop has worked in higher education since 2004. He holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Marshall University and a master’s degree in administration/public administration from Central Michigan University.

Tuesday, Nov. 15: Mary Moran Hill

Mary Moran Hill joined Central Michigan University in 1986 where she currently serves as interim vice president for finance and administrative services. Hill has held the role of associate vice president and controller for financial services and reporting since 2014.

Hill has worked in higher education since 1986. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Master of Business Administration degree from Central Michigan University.

Wednesday, Nov. 16: Brant L. Wright

Brant L. Wright currently serves as the senior vice president for administration and finance at Piedmont University in Demorest, Georgia. Prior to his time at Piedmont, Wright was the vice chancellor of administration and finance at Montana Tech University.

Wright has worked in higher education since 1992. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Oakland University and a master’s degree in finance from Walsh College.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend all open forums as their schedules allow. There is no requirement to stay for the entire time, and participants may come and go as needed.

Individuals unable to attend in person may view the livestream and submit questions using the chat function on the stream or by emailing vpfassearch@cmich.edu in advance. Job-related feedback can be submitted by completing a candidate feedback form at the open forum or by emailing comments to vpfassearch@cmich.edu. The candidate feedback form is also available online at the Senior Officer Searches webpage. Please submit feedback by Nov. 17 at 9 a.m.