Board Member Spotlight: Joshua Aaron, Ex Officio

For Joshua Aaron, Director of the Miller School of Entrepreneurship at East Carolina University, entrepreneurship is about turning ideas into action. That practical approach shapes the way he works with students, leads the Miller School, and now serves USASBE as an Ex Officio member of the Board of Directors.

Joshua first became involved with USASBE around 2018 after colleagues he respected through the Small Business Institute encouraged him to attend. At the time, he had recently become an Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at Middle Tennessee State University, and becoming more involved with a national organization like USASBE felt like a natural next step.

Today, Joshua’s role with USASBE is a little different from other Board members. He serves Ex Officio as part of ECU’s strategic collaboration with USASBE. In that role, he looks for ways the two organizations can support one another while also enjoying the opportunity to work with USASBE leadership and build relationships across the organization. For Joshua, those relationships are a big part of why he continues to stay involved.

In his work with students, Joshua is most passionate about the practical side of entrepreneurship. He enjoys working with students who have an idea and helping them figure out how to actually launch it or take an existing business to the next level. For him, some of the most rewarding learning happens outside of the classroom when students begin applying what they have learned to something of their own.

That same focus on growth guides his work at ECU. Since returning to the university, Joshua has focused on strengthening the Miller School and expanding the reach of entrepreneurship across campus. One major step has been moving the introductory entrepreneurship course into the College of Business core, which will significantly increase the number of students exposed to entrepreneurship. He also sees ECU’s collaboration with USASBE as an important opportunity to continue building the Miller School’s reach and impact.

Joshua describes himself as a strategy person by nature. Whether he is advising a student, working with a client, or serving on a board, he enjoys looking ahead, working through challenges, and finding ways to make something better. That mindset is also what he brings to USASBE as the organization looks toward the future.

His connection to USASBE has continued to grow with each conference. Joshua says every year he leaves having met more people and with a new list of connections to follow up with. One of his favorite memories came at the 2025 conference in Salt Lake City, where he and fellow Board member Ashley Sweeney brought some humor to the stage with their back and forth over how to pronounce “USASBE.”

Outside of work, Joshua is an avid golfer and plays at a zero handicap and enjoys sharing the game with his oldest son, who plays on his high school golf team. If he could start a business just for fun, Joshua would try his hand at flipping houses, combining his interest in real estate with something else he enjoys, figuring out how to make things better.

As USASBE continues to grow, Joshua encourages members to bring their ideas forward. He sees a leadership team that is open to new possibilities and believes members have an important role in helping shape what comes next for the organization.