Annc: Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld, LLP, focusing on business law and commercial litigation, is proud to support Rob on the Road Region Rising.

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And now, Rob on the Road, exploring Northern California.

Rob: Hi there.

Welcome to Rob at Home.

I'm Rob Stewart.

It is great to be with you this week, and I'm so excited to bring you this week's guest, someone we'’ve wanted to talk to for quite a while, and we are thrilled that it is happening today.

Jeff Dern is the president and CEO of PRIDE Industries.

Good to see you, Jeff.

Thank you for being here.

Jeff: Rob, I'm excited to be here with you.

Thanks for having me.

Rob: Absolutely.

You say, "“leading employer in the nation for people with disabilities.

"” Explain that to me.

Jeff: Well, we are the leading employer of people with disabilities in the nation.

Uh, having been in business for 55 years, uh, we employ and serve over 6,000 people with disabilities throughout the country, in 15 states and Washington, D.C.

Uh, we have a variety-— um, wide-ranging number of businesses that we operate and, also, what we're really well-known for, in addition to our...our great businesses, is we have support services and employment services for people with disabilities out in the community.

So, when you put that all together, uh, we think we have a pretty innovative formula, uh, something that's creating a lot of positive, social impact across the country.

And what's really cool is in the nonprofit space which we operate in-— we're a 501( c)( 3)-— um, it's a very collegial, very collaborative space.

So, we work well, and partner with, other nonprofits, um, in... in a number of different... different, uh, locations around the country.

Rob: You know, PRIDE, um, is... is really one of the largest, uh, companies of its type in Northern California, specifically in the Sacramento region, um, when it comes to manufacturing.

Is that accurate?

Jeff: Yes, we do have quite a manufacturing operation right here in our head... our headquarters in Roseville, California.

Uh, we've been manufacturing electronics products for, uh, more than a couple decades and, also, servicing electronics companies, such as Hewlett -Packard, with supply chain and logistics services as well.

So, today, we manufacture, uh, medical devices that require electronics.

Um, we... we procure, globally, all the parts for these products for our customers.

And through our contract manufacturing services, we can not only source all the parts, we can manufacture the electronics components and the motherboards, and then put the whole product together and ship it anywhere in the world.

That's the kind of capability that we have, uh, and have had for, uh, many years now.

We also recently, uh, entered the aerospace and defense industry.

Uh, we're looking to bring customers in who need, um, products that are... are highly regulated, such as medical devices, for example, but, uh, looking for customers who are serving, uh, the Department of Defense and our armed forces, and there's a variety of... of electronics-type devices there in that market, or sub-components of those devices, that we believe we can actually add a lot of value to, while creating jobs for people with disabilities.

Rob: That's awesome.

I was looking at your, uh, customer list.

I saw Amazon, like you said-— Hewlett Packard, um, the Navy, uh, the Air Force, um, I mean, U... UC Davis-— There were all different types of... of companies and... and what have you that... that you serve, and that your employees serve.

And this is where I really want to... to hone in on, and that is the people that work with PRIDE Industries.

It is estimated at about one in five Americans, uh, has a disability.

We're talking estimates are all... all about twenty-plus million people in America with disabilities who can and want to work.

70% of those people are unemployed, and PRIDE's whole mission is to change that.

Talk to me about that person with a disability who wants to work and doesn't have access.

Jeff: That's a great question.

I mean, the numbers are staggering.

Aren't they?

Rob: They're shocking.

Yeah.

Jeff: Shocking numbers, but it just goes to show that, uh, there are people with disabilities, um, everywhere, and in large numbers, and they do need, in many cases, some level of support, uh, particularly with employment, uh, to... to gain services, uh, to gain access and inclusion in the workforce.

And so, when you ask, you know, "Who are they?

"-— uh, they're your brothers and sisters.

They're your son and daughter.

They're your neighbor.

Uh, they're your friends at school, and at work.

Many times, we can't see a disability.

Right?

We... we often think of disability as something we can see, and we often think of it as something that means somebody can't do something.

What PRIDE represents, at our core, is the belief that people with disabilities can do absolutely anything, and if they need a little support, we ought to be providing that support.

Uh, for businesses, this is not an expensive thing to do.

The average cost of an accommodation is about $500 for a person with a disability.

And so, it's more about the mindset of our community and the mindset of... of organizations and companies to embrace the inclusion of individuals with disabilities, among what they're doing.

And so, really, the people we serve can be anybody.

Anybody can actually acquire a disability at any point in your life.

You can have an illness.

You can have an accident.

So, we're talking about a demographic that is known, statistically, as the largest minority demographic in the country and the world.

And we're talking about, um, everyday people who have amazing gifts and abilities, and, really, just need access and inclusion and opportunity to contribute.

And this world would be an amazing place if... if all of them had that opportunity.

So, like you mentioned, over 70% are not employed, that would be working-age individuals with disabilities, which today, in our country, is right around 30 million people of working age have a disability.

16 to 64 years old, I think, is... is that cut line.

And so, that's a huge amount of people that are not being served, and not, uh, having the opportunities to contribute.

And that's what we represent, is breaking down those barriers so that they have an opportunity.

Rob: We all know how a job can-— maybe it shouldn't but it can define us.

Right?

But for someone without one, and with special needs, it can be the world.

It is a lifeline.

It can be an access to an entirely different world for this person.

And when I saw how PRIDE does this, it absolutely blew my mind, because it does it for person after person after person, thousands of people, um, uniquely.

And so, to the people who may be hearing this-— some of those people who may fall in that 70%, or family members-— what would you say to them about encouraging or believing that they, too, can get a job-— especially now?

Jeff: Well, we all want hope, and we all need encouragement and support.

Right?

Regardless of disability, we all want to have support, that feeling that we belong, the knowledge that we matter, and we can contribute meaningfully to our community, to, uh, our schools, our workplaces, our families.

And so, my message is really simple.

Uh, yes, you can.

You can make a difference.

Um, there are companies like PRIDE all across the country, hundreds and hundreds of nonprofit employers, and, thanks to, um, you know, public companies and other organizations that buy into what we do as our mission they buy into that culture of inclusivity-— uh, there are many leading companies out there, today, that are making a difference in creating more space at the table for individuals with disabilities, to understand the accommodations that are needed, to understand the level of support, uh, that is needed to bring these millions and millions of people that want to work, and can work, into the workforce.

So, if it's a matter of gaining independence, which is the most common fear of a parent.

Right?

We all want the best for our kids, and if it's the... the ability to give your child-— to get her independence is to have a paycheck, and to know that they matter and they can contribute, uh, my message is simple-— that that does exist.

And it's a growing movement, if you will, in our country and around the world, and more and more opportunities are being created every day.

That is our singular mission at PRIDE is to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities, and it's our vision that people of all abilities will have equal access to work.

Rob: You know, if... if someone watching hears this and thinks it cannot be done, let me just tell you about PRIDE.

In 19-— was it 1966?

uh, in a church in Roseville I believe it was St. Luke's Episcopal in the basement of the church, a group of parents with children with disabilities said, "We want our children to be able to thrive and prosper and have jobs," and... and PRIDE was created in that basement from just a few parents.

And, today, leading the nation with employment for people with disabilities-—That's proof that it can be done.

So, if that can happen for PRIDE, it can happen for you, in your life.

Um, what-— Do you train people, specifically, for many different types of... of job, um, paths at PRIDE?

Do you train them?

Jeff: Our employment model and our pre-employment services model applies to any vocation.

It can be applied in any environment, to any disability, any person.

And so, we do have, you know, our own businesses that we focus on, everything from facilities management to our manufacturing environment, which I mentioned, supply chain logistics.

Uh, we have landscaping.

We have custodial services.

We operate a number of different industries.

So, we do have specific training for those business services that we operate in.

And, overall, we operate it with 60% of our overall workforce are individuals with disabilities.

So, we raise the bar.

Right?

Now, like I said, that model can be applied to any company, in any vocation, and we are, um, offering services, from a consultative perspective and a staffing perspective, to help any company that wants to embrace what we do.

Uh, we will actually send a team, we'll create a plan, and we'll help them implement... implement that plan.

And we will customize training for the particular skill sets that are required for those jobs that are most in need at those employers.

Rob: Wow.

Jeff: So, it'’s a great-— Rob: That's amazing.

So... so you'll go into the industry that, or someone that... that wants to hire and... and make this happen?

Jeff: Absolutely.

Absolutely.

We have teams that we're building-— As a nonprofit, like I mentioned, we are... we're a community asset, so nobody owns PRIDE industries.

We're... we're actually an asset of the state of California, as a nonprofit, um, social enterprise.

What we do with any money that we can generate from our businesses is we invest it back into the mission, and to create more jobs.

And that's exactly what we're doing, um, by generating this new business activity.

We're already working with several employers on a national basis, where they have multiple locations across the country, and they have a deep desire to be more inclusive of people with disabilities, and we're so excited to be partnering with these amazing organizations.

We believe everything we do has a person-centered focus, and that each individual's life who we change matters.

And so, this is a really, um, unique-— It's really a very unique, um, space that we operate in, to be able to impact people on an individual level like we do, but also be looking at increasing the opportunities, the access for individuals of all abilities.

Rob: I love that.

"“All abilities,"” and all pathways.

Um, and, you know, you mentioned some local, uh, companies that you're working with.

Can you mention some of their names?

Jeff: Sure can.

I mean, Raley's has been a long-time employer partner of ours.

Uh, we provide, um, services to a number of their stores in... in the Sacramento market.

Uh, there's Safeway.

There's Hewlett-Packard, which has a very large operation, uh, out of Roseville.

Um, now they've moved some things around over the years, but what has stayed consistent is a very valuable partnership we have with Hewlett-Packard, Inc., uh, basically shipping parts for their printer, um, supplies all over the world, uh, specifically, focused in North America.

And then, there's companies like Walgreens, uh, which is known nationally as being a real leader in the inclusion of people with disabilities in their stores and their operations.

Uh, and there's over 250 employer partners, just in the Sacramento region, and then, uh, many more down in San Diego, where we just recently merged with a smaller nonprofit organization that has a very significant impact in San Diego.

And we're going to be employing and partnering with many more companies in the San Diego... San Diego region to come.

Uh, and then, nationally, like I said, we have those employer partners.

But... but, locally, uh, there's... there's many, many, and more to come.

We're seeing a great number of companies that have a real appetite to make a difference in their community, not only to differentiate themselves as a business, but it just makes business sense for them, because they get these great employees who are very motivated, very capable, and it changes their culture when they employ somebody that has, uh, either special needs or, uh, needs a little bit of support.

Uh, it's a really positive impact on that company's culture, and we're finding that our customers are not only doing it for those reasons, but, again, because it makes business sense, uh, reducing their turnover, increasing the... the number, um, of shifts that people show up for at the office or in the production facility.

Uh, so there's a number of number of benefits that are really impactful to a company, beyond doing the right thing in the community.

Rob: You j-— You said a word that just fills my entire spirit with light, and that is "inclusion."

Um, and, you know, I think about people with disabilities, and I wonder how it was ever even separated, and how much better off our world would be if we all were one.

Right?

I mean, we are, but if we act as... as if we all were one, and we took care of each other.

Um, and you mentioned the positive impact that people who work with PRIDE have on the businesses that they're working in.

Hiring someone with a disability can change the entire moral, um, and morale, um, compass of a company.

It... it can bring so much joy, the act of doing that.

Um, and the ripple effects are huge.

They go way beyond money.

It's the fact that someone gets to see how a place they work is doing even more by changing somebody else's life.

Have you seen that firsthand, and is there a story that is that... that "Jeff Dern story," right?

-— that you think of in the morning, and at night, or whenever-— that is why you do what you do?

Jeff: Well, we have... we have many of those stories.

Um, you know, being at PRIDE for now 13 years, I've been really fortunate, uh, to witness many successes across our company.

The culture, and the morale, the moral compass, uh, all those things you mentioned-— Those are really significant tributors-— significant contributors to why people come to work for a company like PRIDE.

And we have hundreds of people that have worked with us for over 20 years.

There's something about being part of something bigger than yourself that really draws people in, and then keeps them here.

And we have some amazingly talented people, across the board, who help drive our mission, and that is in an integrated fashion.

We think of ourselves as not only inclusive, but integrated.

And that means that we don't have separate workspaces for people with disabilities and not dis... not disabled.

Right?

We work together as a team, and when you see the synergies, and the positive things that come of that type of collaboration in our environment, it's pretty magical.

But you asked me about, you know, their specific stories.

I can think of a story, a gentleman who came to us that-— He has autism, and he tried to interview and obtain a job through... let's call it dozens of employers.

I think he said it was hundreds-— many, many employers, many interviews, many resumes submitted, applications submitted, and he was unable... unable to get even the most basic, entry-level, minimum-wage-paying job-— Comes to PRIDE.

He ends up working on one of our custodial contracts, excels, becomes a lead, and one day, when I was visiting his work site, he says to me, "Guess what?

I just bought my first house."

Rob: What!

Wow.

Jeff: So, that... that, to me, gives me chills, when I hear of an employee who is so marginalized and not... not included, uh, finding that level of success with PRIDE.

And it's because we can look at anybody, again, whether it's a visible or invisible disability, we're focused on what are... what are their abilities?

Right?

We're not focused on what they can't do.

We're focused on what they can do, and how to help them be successful.

Rob: I love that.

I absolutely love that.

Um, and that's powerful, to think about this person, you know, buying their home and... and achieving things because... because PRIDE believed in them, and showed them that they are worth it.

They knew it, but they may not have knew it to the level that PRIDE brought it to their attention.

Jeff: You have, at your fingertips, an amazing talent resource, talent pool, of people who really are wanting to work, who are really highly motivated, and have overcome challenges in their lives.

So, the level of perseverance you're going to find in somebody who's had to overcome their challenges, and if they have that support in your work environment, and they know that they matter, and that their contributions are... are valued, and they're going to have sustained support, whether directly from your team or a specialized vocational service, like PRIDE Industries-— We can make it happen together, and your company is going to be much better off for inc-— being inclusive of people with disabilities in a... a number of ways, and it's going to make business sense.

There's a study by Accenture that shows revenues and net profit are both significantly higher when you have a workforce that's inclusive of people with disabilities.

So, as businesspeople, we want to make decisions that are good for the business.

I believe, and we believe at PRIDE, that when you have people with disabilities in your workforce, you have a healthier, more motivated workforce.

And it's not just individuals with disabilities that come to the workplace, it's the whole team is affected in a positive way.

And there's also many, many business benefits.

Rob: That's beautiful.

Um, for someone who may be watching this and has a disability, speak directly one -on-one to them.

What would you say to inspire someone with a disability about taking that step of... of seeking, here, employment?

And then, thus, all the things it brings, right?

But speak one-on-one, from you to just that one person who may be hearing this.

Jeff: We know you want to contribute.

We know you want to make a difference, and we know that you deserve independence and an ability to be part of the team.

So, what I would say to you is you have nothing to lose.

When you come to PRIDE, or a company like PRIDE Industries, there are opportunities for you, and there's sup-— a support system for you.

So, whatever your needs and whatever amount of help you might need along the way, we'’ll prepare you to get a job, and we'll support you to maintain that job.

And it's a two-way street.

You know, real work, real hard work will pay off, and you have nothing to lose.

Follow your dreams.

Follow your hopes.

Set goals, and know that work is part of that, and, uh, we welcome you to come visit.

Rob: And I would add to that that we see you, and we believe in you, and we believe that your best days are ahead.

Jeff: Well, thank you, Rob.

That's really kind of you, and we do view PRIDE as a family.

Uh, we very openly talk about that, uh, you know, sense of belonging, again, is very powerful, and we're all connected by this amazing mission to create employment for dis-— people with disabilities.

And, uh, uh, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention our longtime CEO, uh, that I succeeded, Michael Ziegler, who spent 37 years building this social enterprise, building this self-sustaining double bottom line company, whose heart is always mission -first.

Uh, but he was an entrepreneur.

He was an innovator.

He was a fantastic leader.

Uh, we... we're still grieving the loss of Mike, who, uh, left us May of 2-— 2020.

And so, over 37 years, he took a very small nonprofit from humble beginnings with 50 employees and built us to an organization that employs over 5,500 people.

And for that, we're eternally grateful to him, and what-— our goal is to keep his legacy going.

Mike was a people person, and he embodied, exuded what it meant to put every single person first and create that energy of a family.

And so, we're very thankful and fortunate to be carrying on his legacy, and... and, uh, I think he's smiling down on us and... and proud of where we're heading, uh, continuing to innovate, continue to act entrepreneurial, and believe that anything's possible.

Rob: Thank you, Jeff Dern, joining us from Roseville and PRIDE Industries.

We appreciate all of your time and inspiration.

Jeff: Rob, thank you for all your support.

This has been a lot of fun.

And thank you for helping us get this very important message out.

Rob: Absolutely.

I'm thrilled to do it.

And thank you for joining us.

I'm Rob Stewart, here on PBS KVIE.

You are watching Rob at Home, and we will see you next time right here.

♪♪ ♪♪ Annc: Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld, LLP, focusing on business law and commercial litigation, is proud to support Rob on the Road Region Rising.

More information available at murphyaustin.com.