Jazz and roots fest returns to Midlands May 15-16

By Mike Switzer

Published April 30, 2026 at 6:30 AM EDT

Mark Rapp, founder and director of the ColaJazz Foundation, host of the ColaJazz Jazz and Roots Festival

In its ninth year, our next guest’s festival has grown from a grassroots gathering into a destination for world-class music in our capital city. In fact, the festival’s reputation is now one of legendary, Grammy award-winning and internationally acclaimed artists. Mike Switzer interviews Mark Rapp, founder and director of the ColaJazz Foundation, host of the ColaJazz Jazz and Roots Festival returning May 15-16 to Columbia, SC.

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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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