Jazz festival returns to Columbia, SC

By Mike Switzer

Published September 14, 2023 at 5:30 AM EDT

Most business owners would agree that a city’s quality of life is an important factor in the recruitment and retainment of quality employees. And that includes art and cultural events. Our next guest is working hard to maintain and grow the level of cultural activity in our state’s capital city. Mike Switzer interviews Mark Rapp, founder and executive director of ColaJazz Foundation, host of the upcoming ColaJazz Fest in Columbia, SC September 30 - October 1.

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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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