Growing entrepreneurship in the Midlands of SC

By Mike Switzer

Published January 29, 2026 at 6:30 AM EST

Provided

Sam Herskovitz, executive director of the Boyd Innovation Center in Columbia, SC

Last fall, our next guest became the new leader of a Midlands-based entrepreneurial assistance organization and so since he’s had some time to get settled in, we thought it was time to introduce him to our listeners and see what he’s been up to. Mike Switzer interviews Sam Herskovitz, executive director of the Boyd Innovation Center in Columbia, SC.

Provided

Boyd Innovation Center logo

Tags

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