Providing job coaching and career prep to young adults with disabilities

By Mike Switzer

Published March 12, 2025 at 6:30 AM EDT

Lara Ceisel, executive director of the Barbara Stone Foundation in Greenville, S.C.

More and more organizations that support individuals with disabilities are adding programs that also help this demographic increase their independence, self-advocacy, professionalism, and job skills. Mike Switzer interviews Lara Ceisel, executive director of the Barbara Stone Foundation in Greenville, S.C.

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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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