South Carolina Business Review

Entrepreneurial funding available through local accelerator program

By Mike Switzer

Published January 17, 2024 at 6:30 AM EST

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Millicent Lann, program director at the Benedict College Statewide Investment Accelerator at the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial resources in our state continue to expand. Our next guest’s accelerator, for example, is looking for applicants from around South Carolina for its next spring cohort. Their goal, in particular, is to address the gap in venture capital access for women, minority, veteran, and other underfunded demographics. Mike Switzer interviews Millicent Lann, program director at the Benedict College Statewide Investment Accelerator, part of the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.

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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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