Donna Romano builds printed circuit boards for medical devices at PRIDE Industries ’ s Roseville campus .
Before joining the organization , Burdick had to dig deep to find meaning in her career . In those corporate ecosystems , the end goal was always to serve the shareholders . But she knew there was more to life . Her 8-year-old son is adopted and Burdick had previously done volunteer work in the foster care world , creating Foster Coalition , an online resource for foster youth and parents . At PRIDE , she says , she can merge her passion and profession , helping give underrepresented populations a fighting chance .
“ People with disabilities live in a world that wasn ’ t built for them ,” Burdick says . “ They are very creative problem solvers and they have a unique perspective on the world . These qualities are valuable for businesses trying to be competitive .”
Made in California
If anybody understands competition , Triathlon Hall of Famer Sally Edwards does . The ultramarathoner also has a history with PRIDE Industries that runs deep . In the early 1990s , PRIDE manufactured her company ’ s snow shoes and ultimately bought that business called
YubaShoes . In 1993 , Edwards founded Heart Zones , which makes heart rate training programs and devices . “ We ’ re in the business of motivating and engaging people to move more ,” Edwards says . “ As Americans , we need more physical activity .”
Many American businesses work with manufacturers in Asia to cut down production costs . But the global pandemic made foreign parts harder to get . Shutdowns clogged up the supply chain , so companies had to pivot from thinking globally to thinking locally — a concept called reshoring , when a company brings its production and manufacturing back to its home country .
Edwards was unfamiliar with the term reshoring , but when she needed a regional partner to help make a new heart rate sensor , she once again ( with a nudge from friend and Comstock ’ s publisher Winnie Comstock-Carlson ) turned to PRIDE .
Heart Zones has two body-worn sensors and three equipment-enabled sensors ( cycling , treadmills and rowers ), Edwards says . In phase 1 of the partnership , PRIDE is making two component parts for the heart rate sensor : the strap and the attachment clips . The third component , the electronic device , will be made in phase 2 .
For the heart rate sensor , Edwards had a part sample , but not the specs . She had to hire a company to get the precision measurements , which pushed the delivery date back . Despite the delays , Edwards doesn ’ t regret taking steps to source locally , and was relieved to know she had support within arm ’ s reach .
With more companies looking to make things stateside , PRIDE saw the opportunity to promote its social marketing advantage . Partnering with PRIDE for production means waste reduction , shorter delivery times and “ you can put a label on your product that says , ‘ Assembled with PRIDE by people with disabilities ,’” Burdick says .
A hand up
Taggart Neal wanted to help another group in need of support : nurses . A U . S . Navy veteran , Neal launched his startup , TagCarts , to give nurses upgraded medical carts that make their jobs easier .
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