UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring 2023
Hackathon Reimagine
Grawn Hall | Friday 5:00 pm – Saturday 6:00 pm
Compete in teams during a 24-hour event of problem-solving madness. Showcase your solution to a panel of judges and your team could win cash prizes! Registration opens January 10. Individuals and groups can register. Individuals will be placed within a team.
Mini Skillbuilder
Grawn 166 | Friday, 10:00 am - 12:00pm
Topic: Building a Three-Year Financial Forecast
How to Present Financial at NVC (building visually appealing financial slides).
New Venture Challenge: Intent to Compete Form Closes
DEADLINE EXTENDED:
Tuesday, March 14 at 11:59 PM
NVC Bootcamp: Networking
Courtyard by Marriott Hotel| 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Mentor Meetup
Grawn 166 | 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Meet up with mentors for feedback and advice on your venture plan before NVC preliminaries!
New Venture Challenge: Preliminaries
Virtual: Airmeet | 3:00 pm - 5:30 pm
Teams and individuals who enter to compete in the Full Presentation category will present a 7-minute pitch of their venture virtually to a panel of judges. Those that make it to the finals will present in-person Friday, April 21. Teams who did not make it to finals can compete for a chance to win cash prizes in the Elevator Pitch Competition and Venture Gallery.
The New Venture Challenge
McGuirk Arena | 1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The CMU New Venture Challenge (NVC) is a competitive event for students enrolled across all colleges at CMU to develop their entrepreneurial mindset, learn business start-up techniques, and develop their business ideas.
Students have a chance to compete in the Full Presentation or the Elevator Pitch Competition. Teams who do not make it to the finals within the Full Presentation Competition category have the option to compete in the Elevator Pitch Competition and Venture Gallery. All students can compete in the Venture Gallery. MAR 3 !
Join NVC mentors, students, and IBIE staff for a night of networking and connection building. Get to know other NVC participants and the mentors who are here to help you on your new venture journey!
NVC Bootcamp: Workshop Modules
Grawn 150G | 10:30 am - 4:00 pm
Join mentors and entrepreneurship faculty and staff as we work with you to build and plan out your venture. Students who are interested in participating in The New Venture Challenge are encouraged to attend. All students are welcome.
Bring It Together Workshop
Grawn 166 | 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Attend a session to work on your venture display for NVC Gallery Showcase. Craft supplies and tools will be provided, please bring any materials you wish to use for your venture display.
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Innovative – Energetic – Curious – Eager – Amazing. How else can I describe the 2022-2023 school year at the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship! Students returned to campus full of energy and drive to explore new possibilities and connections to help them as aspiring entrepreneurs. Also, we have two new faculty members and a new Program & Events Manager that joined entrepreneurship. They are here to help support, inspire and coach the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Be sure to meet Program & Event Manager, Kaye Reimers and Professors Lauren Zettel and John Gustincic at the next opportunity.
During the Fall semester we hosted several events to connect students and begin using the new IDEA Den! We also continued the NVC Bootcamps where we engage students, alumni, faculty, and entrepreneurs to network and connect around entrepreneurial development and preparation.
In this Update you will see a recap from some of the high points, including our 1st Annual Women’s Forum, and Make-A-Pitch. Additionally, we are featuring several of our student entrepreneurs and beginning with our next edition, we will feature our mentors.
We are thrilled to have a growing cadre of NVC Alumni as mentors for current student entrepreneurs. You talk about a great resource to help our students; these entrepreneurs & business professionals are it.
As a student-centric Institute we offer programs and partnerships that support students from ideation and team-building through venture growth. Please join us for our upcoming Hackathon: Reimagine and our annual signature event, New Venture Challenge as we return to the McGuirk Arena and John G Kulhavi Events Center.
On behalf of the entire IBIE team, we look forward to seeing you at the 2023 New Venture Challenge. You will find the registration link in this newsletter.
Fire Up Chips!
Julie
Julie Messing
Entrepreneurship Faculty & Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship Director, Central Michigan University
julie.messing@cmich.edu
ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE HOURS
Professor John Gustincic Grawn 160
MONDAYS: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
WEDNESDAYS: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
FRIDAYS: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
IDEA DEN Grawn 166
MONDAY - FRIDAY: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
Daniel Lahey
Founder & CEO of BreezeSweep
Mechanical Engineering & Entrepreneurship
I love entrepreneurship because it’s a chance to bring my ideas into reality. I have always wanted to be an inventor, ever since I was young. I read George Washington Carver’s autobiography when I was seven, and he became my inspiration. I wanted to innovate and change the world like George Washington Carver; that’s why entrepreneurship was the best choice for me.
I’m most proud of studying hard to develop my engineering and entrepreneurship skills and learning to organize my time so I can still work on my business while attending classes. I put a lot of time into my wind turbine invention. I had the idea when I was 14, and later I went ahead and built a wind turbine in my dorm.
I’ve hit roadblocks but I didn’t give up. I went back to it and turned it into something that was valuable and useful and has the chance to be a positive change in the world.
I have a lot of designs for inventions that are specially related to sustainability and clean transportation, so I see a lot of growth for BreezeSweep in that direction. I also have interests in other completely unrelated fields, and those ideas might go somewhere as well. Currently, I have big long-term plans for BreezeSweep. I started BreezeSweep because I wanted to put my invention out in the world. To be honest, I would start BreezeSweep for free. Starting a company was the best and only way I could realize my dream.
Ashley Adams
Author
English
Literature & Entrepreneurship
I love entrepreneurship because of the idea that it is not taughtit’s learned. You can find your own way. There’s not necessarily a right or wrong way to do it. It’s intuitive.
I just published my first book of poetry in July of 2021 called Adoration by my pen name Ashley Patrice. I’ve always wanted to write my own books and be my own author. It’s something that comes easily to me and doesn’t feel like a job. In school, they told us that you should major in something you are good at because then it won’t feel like a job.
I’m focused on creating a safe space for kids, something I didn’t have. I’m driven by that mission. I want to contribute to the rise in black-owned businesses. I want to bring something forth that I didn’t have as a child. I want to start a bookstore called CoCoa Garden. It’s meant to be more than a bookstore, it’s a safe space for all people. I want to have after school programs, tutoring programs- because I know what it’s like to not have those opportunities after school.
Alina Krasinski CEO
Entrepreneurship & Advertising
I love entrepreneurship because there is no limit to my creativity, I can let my ideas wander and create brand new ideas with no ceiling. I want to create a business that has a solid foundation of ethics as well as have freedom to change the world in my own way. I am also passionate about providing for myself and my family and creating something that can be passed on to future generations – to give them opportunities I never had. The end goal is to open my own dog daycare within 3 years of graduation.
With my degree, I want to give back to the people who have helped me on my journey and asked for nothing in return. I am more than excited to wake up every day and work towards something that I built myself from the ground up. As a student, I’m most proud of winning Judges’ Pick at the 2022 Make-A-Pitch competition last semester for a product prototype I plan on pursuing. In the future, I’m most excited about making new entrepreneurship friends, building business relationships, and providing for my family.
Diana Yareny Magdaleno-Leal
Baker
Entrepreneurship & Spanish
My name is Diana Yareny Magdaleno-Leal. I am currently a senior who is majoring in entrepreneurship and minoring in Spanish. I’m also a first-generation college student. It isn’t easy when neither of my parents went to college to guide me through this education experience – but my parents did give me the opportunity to continue my education and introduced me to entrepreneurship.
I love entrepreneurship because it’s a way to create new ideas to help simplify our daily tasks. My venture dream is to open up a Mexican & Italian bakery called Don Abelardo’s. A big reason for wanting to start my own business is to open Don Abelardo’s bakery as a thank you gift for my dad. I’m passionate about this bakery because I get to see my dad’s dream come true. He gave me a better life and brighter future that he otherwise couldn’t give me if he were still in Mexico. In the future, I see my bakery evolving into a place where I can distribute bread not just in Michigan but all of America. I’m most excited to work with my father and build a legacy just for him.
FALL RECAP
August
The Journey to NVC Begins!
Fall 2022 marked the beginning of many new ventures and ideas! Our programs and events are focused towards helping students grow their entreprenuerial skills through competing, creativity, innovation and expanding their professional network.
September
TV Entrepreneur: Bob Larson
We welcomed CMU alum Bob Larson as a special guest speaker. He is a founding partner and Executive Vice President of Sharp Entertainment, a successful television production company based in midtown Manhatten. Producer of popular shows such as 90 Day Fiance, Man vs. Food, and Extreme Couponing, Bob has over twenty years of television experience and he is a proud CMU ‘88 alum.
During his visit he served as the Executive-in-Residencementoring students, held office hours, and spoke to classes. This event was in partnership with the Department of Broadcast & Cinematic Arts.
October
Fall NVC Bootcamps
Our NVC bootcamps covered pitch practice, public speaking tips, and more! Students and mentors also had the chance to meet for the first time and discuss student ideas.
Thanks to an increase in first-time mentors, our mentor program has doubled in size. We are excited to see mentors give back and help students excel.
When Life Gives you LemonsBe an Entrepreneur!
November
Michigan Collegiate Start-Up Challenge
Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge (MCSC) is a university-level student business model competition for students in the state of Michigan. MCSC fosters entrepreneurship by encouraging university-level students across the state of Michigan to commercialize their ideas and provide them with a forum in which they can develop skills by pitching their ideas and building entrepreneurial ventures. Three CMU students made it to the semi-finals and competed for cash prizes at MSU!
CMU students Zach Bagbey, Carolina Ruiz Hernandez, and Jake Kapusansky competed in the Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge at Michigan State University.
Professor Julie Messing challenged her ENT 200 class to launch some of their very first business ventures on campus. The lemonade stand project allowed students to gain hands-on experience in the planning and launching of a new venture!
Entrepreneurial Women’s Forum
In celebration of Global Entrepreneurship Week in November, we hosted an Entrepreneurial Women’s Forum. Panelists shared their personal stories as entrepreneurs and how they’ve overcome challenges. Students asked questions and gained valuable input and advice on some of their own business ideas.
A BIG thank you to our guest speakers:
Lisa Thompson, Founder and Executive Director of Self Love Beauty
Linzie Venegas, Vice President of Ideal Group, Inc.
Melissa Hughes, Founder of Live Rich. Spread Wealth.
Courtney Lorenz, Founder of Cultured Kombucha Co.
Carrie Schochet, Founder and CEO of Purple Squirrel Advisors.
December
Students explored Grawn searching for 3D printed parts for a chance to win a 3D printed trophy! The event introduced students to the IDEA Den’s 3D printers led by Tech Coordinators, Martin Bennett and Michael Cesena.
3D Scavenger Hunt
CONGRATS TO OUR 2023 UNIVERSITY INNOVATION FELLOWS
The University Innovation Fellows (UIF) is a program run through Stanford University’s Hasso Plattner’s Institute of Design. The UIF program’s mission is to train and empower students to create innovative change at their university. Fellows experience intensive virtual training sessions, share ideas, have meet-ups, and spend a week in Silicon Valley. After they complete their training, they develop and pitch programs, spaces, and/or initiatives for their colleges. The purpose of these endeavors is to cultivate and enrich the entrepreneurial environment on campus.
Congratulations to the 2022-2023 University Innovation Fellows:
Jacob Kapusansky, Leslee Weible and Rebecca Ridenour. They completed their project proposals and will begin the hard work of spreading creativity and innovation on campus.
JACOB KAPUSANSKY
LESLEE WEIBLE
REBECCA RIDENOUR
McGuirk Arena and John G. Kulhavi Event Center
NVC AWARD PACKAGES
HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT FUTURE ENTREPRENEURS?
Be on stage to present awards to well-deserving teams of entrepreneurs who are working to change the world. Contact Director Julie Messing, julie.messing@cmich.edu to learn more.
Social Venture Support students who know that doing well and doing good shouldn’t be mutually exclusive.
Top Social Venture Award
Second Place Social Venture Award
Third Place Social Venture Award
Entire Social Venture Category
$10,000
$5,000
$2,000
$17,000
Main Street Encourage entrepreneurs who see great opportunity with a lifestyle business.
The Main Street Business First Place Award Sponsored by John G. Kulhavi
Second Place Social Venture Award
Third Place Social Venture Award
$10,000
$5,000
$2,000
High Growth The award for ambitious and bold ventures.
Korson Family Highest Growth Potential
Mike & Judy Reed –2nd Place Highest Growth
3rd Place High Growth Award
$10,000
$2,000
$2,000
Special thanks to our current 2023 NVC supporters:
• Isabella Bank
• John G. Kulhavi
• Korson Family Foundation
• Lyndell Patrick
• Mid-Michigan Development Corporation
• Mike & Judy Reed
Lyndell Patrick Elevator Pitch Awards
Entire category $7500
Isabella Bank Gallery Awards
Entire category $5,000
Mid-Michigan Development Corp (MMDC) Investor Awards
$2,000 and in-kind services
Alternative Support: In-kind Services
Provide assistance (legal, tax, accounting, social media, web design) to several student ventures of your choice. Your name will be featured on signage and in the NVC event program.
Recognition & Benefits
• Personally award the winning team during NVC
• Special mention in our NVC program
• Special signage placed within the NVC gallery and on the winning award check
• Special mention during the awards ceremony
• Recognition on our website and social media channels
*Italicized awards are funded for NVC 2023 thanks to supporters like you!
MAKE-A-PITCH WINNERS
Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship
1ST PLACE PITCH
Coyote Cookware
Zach Bagbey
2ND PLACE PITCH
Math and Mental (M^2) (M-Squared)
Destiny Taylor
3RD PLACE PITCH
MapScratched
Carolina Hernandez Ruiz
AUDIENCE CHOICE
Math and Mental (M^2) (M-Squared)
Destiny Taylor
JUDGES’ PICK
Corn Horn
Alina Krasinski
VISIONARY AWARD
Glare-Shield
Maxwell Grubaugh & Jackson Raymond
Second Place — Math and Mental (M^2)(M-Squared)
Third Place — MapScratched
Visionary Award — Glare-Shield
First Place — Coyote Cookware
Audience Choice — Math and Mental (M^2)(M-Squared)
Judges’ Pick — Corn Horn
“Make-A-Pitch helped me focus on the important aspects of my business pitch and how to communicate my company’s value proposition. I gained valuable feedback from the judges.”
Zack Bagbey 1st Place Pitch Winner Coyote Cookware
