Madeline Haydon, MBA, '05

_{Founder Friday
The Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition}

Back in 2013, Madeline Haydon was pregnant with her second child and just wanted a good cup of coffee. But looking at the standard creamers on the table at a local diner, she realized there wasn’t a single dairy-free option that actually tasted good. Instead of just accepting it, she decided to make her own.

"I created nutpods out of my own personal search for a dairy-free creamer with a rich taste and consistency but without unnecessary additives," Madeline says.

With no background in the food industry, she had to figure it out as she went. Drawing on the perseverance and work ethic she learned from her immigrant parents, she started from scratch. She relied on familiar bootstrap tactics, launching a Kickstarter campaign and gathering support from friends and family just to get her initial idea off the ground.

"I kept coming back to what I did know, and what I did know was the lens of a consumer."

Taking it to the Market

A major turning point in taking nutpods from just an idea to a real product happened right here at Seattle University. Madeline pitched her concept at the 2015 Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition, hosted by the Albers Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center.

For a female, minority founder navigating a startup landscape where diverse entrepreneurs often struggle to secure traditional venture capital, this was a critical milestone. Taking third place gave her the essential funding she needed to finally launch on Amazon and get into retail stores.

Reflecting on those early days of pitching and building the business, she offers clear advice for students trying to bring their own ideas to life: "Know your why. Why are you doing this? If you know your reason why, it will center you and can help motivate you when the going gets tough."

The Consumer-First Advantage

That focus paid off. By constantly putting the consumer first, Madeline grew nutpods into a massive success. The brand became the #1 non-dairy creamer on Amazon, expanded into over 15,000 stores, and reached a $36.8 million valuation. Along the way, she made sure the company stayed true to her values, making nutpods the first brand in North America to use plant-based, recyclable packaging in its category. This strong commitment to environmental sustainability didn’t just reduce their footprint; it built deep brand equity and drove massive loyalty among modern, eco-conscious buyers.

"I kept coming back to what I did know, and what I did know was the lens of a consumer," she explains. "That’s almost one of the best ways that you can look at your business."

Empowering Future Founders

Madeline wanted to create more opportunities for future entrepreneurs, so in 2023 she revamped the cash prizes for first, second and third place winners at the Harriet Stephenson Business Plan Competition by offering the Madeline Haydon Award.

In 2024, Madeline successfully sold nutpods and stepped down as CEO. But instead of just retiring, she pivoted to helping others. Drawing from her own experience as a first-generation college student, she has committed over $1 million to philanthropy. At Seattle University, she set up the Madeline Haydon Scholarship Endowments specifically to support first-generation students interested in entrepreneurship.

Madeline chose to make her giving public to show that anyone can make an impact. "You don’t need to have a billion dollars in net worth to get involved," she emphasizes. "There are so many ways to contribute — through time, talent, and financial support — to organizations that are making a real difference."