Madeline Haydon is the Founder & CEO of nutpods, the best-selling plant-based creamer brand, and an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Madeline developed nutpods based on a personal need: a rich and creamy, dairy-free coffee creamer without artificial ingredients and 0g of sugar. nutpods has since grown to be a top 3 brand in the exploding plant-based, non-dairy creamer category by cultivating and leveraging a passionate consumer following. Initially launched as a Kickstarter project, nutpods is now the fastest growing brand of refrigerated plant-based creamers in national retailers and still the #1 selling brand on Amazon. The brand’s success was driven initially by Madeline’s unconventional route to market, starting direct to consumer, but is now being propelled by her prescience for consumers’ interest in no and low sugar products. nutpods was ranked #13 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies and was also selected as the Amazon “Small Business of the Year”. As an Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” Madeline is a popular speaker at the Specialty Food Association Conferences, Natural Products Expos and Hirshberg Entrepreneurship Institute. Her approach to seeding brands and nutpods’ ongoing success has been covered in publications including Forbes, Inc., BevNet, Seattle Business, Food Navigator, and One Green Planet and multiple podcasts. Madeline holds a BS from the University of Washington and an MBA from Seattle University.

Geoff Haydon is the CFO of nutpods, the best-selling plant-based creamer brand based in Bellevue, Washington. Geoff is a key figure in both the inception and growth of nutpods, the top 3 brand in the exploding plant-based, non-dairy creamer category. When Madeline Haydon, his wife and nutpods CEO, became frustrated at the lack of dairy-free creamer options in 2013, Geoff, an Investment Banker with Meridian Capital, encouraged her to do something about that. With his help she did and he joined the brand full time in 2017 and has guided the growth of the nutpods from start-up challenges to profitable growth including multiple fundraises, most recently a Series C lead by VMG. Initially launched as a Kickstarter project, nutpods is now the fastest growing brand of refrigerated plant-based creamers in national retailers and still the #1 selling brand on Amazon. nutpods was ranked #13 on the 2019 Inc 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies and was also selected as the Amazon “Small Business of the Year”. Geoff holds a BS from Washington & Lee University.

Jamie has spent over 20 years in CPG general management with emphasis in Sales & Marketing. After graduating with an MBA from Duke University in 2001, Jamie joined Kraft Foods and led teams on iconic brands such as Ritz and Chips Ahoy!. He was a key leader in the launch of the 100 Calorie Packs platform from concept to year one in market, leading to a $100MM business and IRI Pacesetter Award. Jamie later joined start-up Food Should Taste Good, Inc. and was a key management team member to grow the company from 8 to 55 employees in 5 years to successful acquisition by General Mills in 2012. Jamie joined his next start-up, Justin’s, as SVP of Sales & Marketing and was a key impact player to triple its nut butter/chocolate business in 2 years and partner with private equity group VMG, which led to inevitable acquisition by Hormel. As President of Grillo’s Pickles for 5 years, Jamie expanded a local brand to become the national emerging category leader in retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Publix, Ahold, and Costco, which led to eventual acquisition by King’s Hawaiian. Jamie currently is a board member with a portfolio of emerging “fighter” brands, where he helps get them to start-up growth leadership.