NVC Mentor Meet Up connects students with leaders who believe in their potential

Last week, students gathered in Grawn Hall with ideas in progress: prototypes, business models, pitches and questions. For two hours, students preparing for the New Venture Challenge gathered not just to network, but to build something bigger than a competition entry. They came to connect with the people who would challenge them, guide them and help turn their ideas into action.

For Masaki Hara, a Ph.D. research assistant at Central Michigan University, the New Venture Challenge represents that turning point. “The New Venture Challenge inspires me to turn my ideas into real action and fuels my passion to transform an invasive species problem into sustainable solutions,” he said.

Through conversation and feedback, students are pushed to think more critically about feasibility, audience and execution. They begin to see entrepreneurship not as a distant goal, but as something they can actively shape.

Glenn Cross, mentor-student engagement and mentoring director, opened the evening with an introduction to NVC and its purpose. Rachel Trost, Isabella Bank Institute of Entrepreneurship administrative assistant, followed with an overview of the competition and key dates. The focus quickly shifted from logistics to relationships and to the people who would partner with students throughout the process.

“What inspires me most about NVC is watching students grow throughout the process,” Trost said. “Even as a first-time coordinator, it’s easy to see how much confidence they gain from sharing their ideas and connecting with mentors. The energy and passion they bring to this experience is what makes NVC so special.”

Students who begin cautiously often leave more confident, asking questions and thinking strategically about their ventures. Confidence builds through feedback, through refining a pitch, and through the realization that experienced professionals are willing to invest their time and insight.

Among those mentors this year were:

• Padraic McMeel, president and CEO of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce
• Tony Fox, regional director at Michigan SBDC and certified small business consultant
• Michael Gilmour, sales manager, OEM/OES – Automotive (Ford/Honda/Toyota) at East Penn Manufacturing
• Alexanderia Tinker, project manager at Covet Security
• Philip Mundt, project manager at Synergy Additive
• Maxwell Grubaugh, MBA student
• Dom Holmes, director of economic development at Oakland County, Michigan Government

Each mentor shared how NVC sharpens students’ thinking and encourages them to approach entrepreneurship as both a discipline and a mindset. They emphasized keeping an open mindset, asking follow-up questions, learning from failure and executing decisions with confidence.

For mentors like Padraic McMeel, the energy in the room is what keeps him returning. “As the President and CEO of the Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce, I work with business leaders and entrepreneurs on a daily basis,” he said. “I attended my first NVC last year and was amazed by the passion and vision that CMU students had for their respective business pitches. Now, as a NVC mentor, I am excited to help students learn and grow through the entrepreneurial cycles of not only starting a business but creating a plan for current and future success.”

That cycle—idea, feedback, refinement, execution—is the core of the New Venture Challenge. Mentors serve not only as advisors, but as connectors. If they cannot provide a specific answer, they help students find someone who can.

The message throughout the evening was consistent: you do not have to build alone. Students left the event with access to leaders who are invested in their growth and willing to share their experience.

The New Venture Challenge is more than a competition. It is an ecosystem built on relationships, accountability and the shared belief that students are capable of building something meaningful.