The Increasing Value of Knowing About Open Source Software

By Mike Switzer

Published April 5, 2019 at 5:12 AM EDT

In the technology world, “open source” is the term given to software for which the original source code is made freely available to anyone, allowing it to be redistributed and modified. Because open source now comprises 80% – 90% of the code in a “typical” application, our next guest says the need to learn more about it has never been more vital. Which is why our next guest is bringing an open source conference to our state.

Mike Switzer interviews Sergio Aparicio, Economic Business Development Manager for theCity of Columbia’s Office of Economic Development and the lead co-organizer for Open Source 101 coming to Columbia on April 18th.

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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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