The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the disparities our communities are facing, and many people are looking for new ways to support Heartland Alliance and our participants. Many of our staff are on the frontlines of this crisis serving the most vulnerable every single day, making personal protective equipment critical to preserving their safety and well-being. Looking for ways to get involved, Miguel Carlos, an MC Capital Ventures hedge fund manager, stepped up as a courageous champion and donated about 2,000 masks produced by his family’s company, Micro Analog, to help protect Heartland Alliance staff who continue to provide services to those who need it most.
Micro Analog, a California-based electronic manufacturing company, has weathered countless storms since its beginning in 1991, said Miguel, whose parents founded and own the company—and the current crisis is no different.
As the country implemented shelter-in-place and social distancing measures, Micro Analog halted production and Miguel looked for a way to keep all 189 of Micro Analog’s staff employed. Miguel suggested to his parents that the company shift to producing masks instead of microchips, and he dedicated $15 million of his own money to make it happen.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to live a life where I’m able to help, and that’s where the beauty in life is for me,” Miguel said.
It was an interesting transition shifting production so drastically, he admitted. Many of Micro Analog’s staff were not used to sewing, but Miguel was committed to helping them learn new skills, and more importantly, to keeping them safe. Micro Analog adjusted employees’ shifts and hours, and even paid to have doctors and nurses on-site during work hours to keep employees safe and healthy.
“My mother and father taught me that every time you make money, you always make sure to give something back,” Miguel said. “I’ve been successful in my industry, and so whatever I’m able to make from it, I make sure to put back into the community itself.”
And for Miguel, that community stretches across America. Miguel said he feels privileged to have been adopted by his mother and father in a country where he was afforded so many opportunities. When Miguel had to decide where to ship the Micro Analog-produced masks, he looked across the nation, donating from hospitals in Los Angeles all the way to Heartland Alliance here in the Midwest. Miguel learned of Heartland Alliance through a good friend and knew he wanted to support an organization with values closely aligned to his own and those of his family.
While recognizing that not all industries are the same, Miguel urged other people and businesses looking to help to be willing to adapt in this uncharted territory. Acknowledging how challenging this has been for the country and world, Miguel said there is some good coming from this, too.
“The silver lining here is that everyone—from restaurants to retail stores to large companies—all of society is now focused on how we can help one another,” Miguel said. “That’s the beautiful side of all this.”
