USC professor founds nursing education technology firm

By Mike Switzer

Published February 26, 2026 at 6:30 AM EST

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Dr. Stephanie Schaller, assistant professor at USC’s College of Nursing and founder of NursEdvance Innovations in Columbia, SC

When our next guest noticed her nursing students struggling to understand congenital heart defects, she realized the issue wasn’t their effort, it was the tools they were using. So she turned this classroom challenge into an education technology startup. Mike Switzer interviews Dr. Stephanie Schaller, assistant professor at USC’s College of Nursing and founder of NursEdvance Innovations in Columbia, SC.

A student at the USC College of Nursing with a heart model designed by Dr. Stephanie Schaller

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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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