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Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
We empower entrepreneurial thinkers—whether you’re launching a venture, building a family business, creating social impact, or driving innovation inside an organization. Turn ideas into action.
Start your entrepreneurial journey
At Central Michigan University, the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship is more than a program—it’s where students from every major turn ideas into real impact. As Michigan’s first Department of Entrepreneurship, we’re a hub for hands-on learning, innovation, and mentorship.
Here, you’ll:
- Build an entrepreneurial mindset that sets you apart in any career path—launching ventures, shaping social missions, advancing family businesses, or driving innovation inside established companies.
- Collaborate across disciplines to create projects that matter.
- Learn from alumni, faculty, and industry leaders who’ve built their own paths.
- Gain real-world experience through workshops, hackathons, and pitch competitions.
- Compete in the New Venture Challenge, where students win up to $10,000 in cash and grants to grow their ideas.
Whether you want to start something new or transform what already exists, the Institute is your launchpad.
Take the next step!
When you’re ready to get started, stop by Grawn 164 to join the team or visit the Idea Den in Grawn 166—your space to brainstorm, build, and take the next step.
Questions?
On January 18, students and their teachers from Renaissance Academy in Mt. Pleasant teamed up with Dr. Jeff Fisher in the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center to provide a healthy cooking class. The center is home to the Nutrition and Dietetics program at CMU.
Students learned how to prepare homemade pizza, a simple and healthy dish. Throughout the demonstration, Chef Eric Schneider engaged the students in how to prepare this popular meal. Making pizza from scratch may seem challenging, but the cooking class showed otherwise.
“The students had a tremendous experience cooking in the kitchen while learning about healthy cooking,” Amber Schneider stated.
The newly renovated and state-of-the-art culinary center in Wightman Hall has 12 workstations with commercial-style ovens and modern food service equipment. Nutrition and Dietetics courses taught in the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center include Introduction to Food and Culinary Techniques, Food Science, and a new course offered every fall, Introduction to Wine.
For more information about the Nutrition and Dietetics program and course offerings, please contact program director Dr. Najat Yehia at yahia1n@cmich.edu. To inquire about the Allen Foundation Culinary Nutrition Center, please reach out to Director Dr. Jeff Fisher at fishe2jj@cmich.edu.