COB leaders head west in the name of entrepreneurship

Published Mar 02, 2026 by
Filed under: Faculty and Staff News, Miller School of Entrepreneurship News
Seven men and women stand in front of a Hilton Salt Lake City backdrop, smiling and making an “X” with their arms.
A purple glow hovered over the ECU contingent (from left, Emily Yeager, Mike Harris, Linda Quick, Matt Crisp, Khaylan Brown, Joshua Aaron and Chip Galusha) in Salt Lake City for the USASBE annual conference.

Entrepreneurship leaders – including a current student – took Salt Lake City by storm (in a snowstorm, in fact) for the annual conference of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. USASBE is considered the premier national organization dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship education, research and practice.

“USASBE provides an important platform for ECU to both contribute to and learn from national leaders in entrepreneurship,” said Dr. Emily Yeager, director of the Crisp Small Business Resource Center and associate professor in the Department of Recreation Sciences. “Our work demonstrates how universities can play a catalytic role in supporting small businesses, empowering students and strengthening regional economies.”

During the conference, ECU representatives presented and contributed to national conversations on topics including the design and implementation of education and support programs for social and rural entrepreneurs, effective funding strategies to support student-led startups, innovations in community-based small business lending and entrepreneurial ecosystem development, and ECU’s Office of Expert Services as a centralized, scalable model for advancing university-community engagement and institutional transformation.

According to Yeager, ECU’s participation highlighted the university’s commitment to expanding access to entrepreneurship education and capital, particularly in rural and under-resourced communities. She also said the Crisp Small Business Resource Center and related initiatives serve as national models for integrating student learning, applied research and community impact.

“ECU’s strong presence at USASBE reinforces the College of Business’s leadership in entrepreneurship education and its ongoing commitment to innovation, student success and community engagement across eastern North Carolina and beyond,” Yeager said.

Student participation was also a key component of ECU’s presence. Finance student Khaylan Brown engaged with national leaders in entrepreneurship education and gained exposure to emerging trends, funding models and innovation strategies that will inform the next generation of Pirate entrepreneurs. ECU was also represented by Dr. Mike Harris, dean of the College of Business; Linda Quick, associate dean of the College of Business; Dr. Joshua Aaron, director of the Miller School of Entrepreneurship and the J. Fielding Miller Distinguished Professor; Chip Galusha, teaching instructor; and Matt Crisp, alumnus.