Celebrating SC's Cultural and Ethnic Diversity

By Mike Switzer

Published April 4, 2018 at 5:34 AM EDT

You are probably already aware that we live in a diverse, multicultural state. And once a year, businesses, organizations, and individuals come together in the Midlands to celebrate the music, culture, food and performing arts of the various cultures, nationalities, races and language groups represented in South Carolina.

Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Raj Aluri, director of the Columbia International Festival coming April 14-15 to the state fairgrounds.

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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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