South Carolina Business Review

SmartState 2.0 discussion gaining momentum

By Mike Switzer

Published July 11, 2022 at 5:30 AM EDT

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Mike Switzer interviews John Warner, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Innoventure in Greenville, S.C. John discusses recent feedback he’s received regarding our ongoing discussion of the possibility of new legislation to reinvigorate our state’s SmartState program. The discussion is leading to entrepreneurs and professors connecting for potential economic activity.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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