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MUSC Research Launching Companies

South Carolina Public Radio | By Mike Switzer
Published November 25, 2014 at 12:02 AM EST

Our next guest's organization has filed patent applications on more than 320 technologies, resulting in 99 issued patents while at the same time being responsible for helping to launch 43 new companies.

Mike Switzer interviews Michael Rusnak, the new executive director at the Medical University of South Carolina's Foundation for Research and Development in Charleston. 
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Business Michael RusnakMedical University of South Carolinaresearchfinance
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.
See stories by Mike Switzer