Maya Madsen founded America’s First Black-Owned Gourmet Vegan Cookie Company in 2015, Maya’s Cookies, and her journey was not an easy one.
Growing up in an underserved community Madsen had to be creative in finding ways to obtain the little knick-knacks that children loved like candy and toys so she decided to do jobs that were paid under the table to obtain these things that weren’t in the family budget. Never being the one to accept being without, Madsen started on her entrepreneurial journey early basically as long back as she could remember Madsen always had an inkling for entrepreneurship and making something out of nothing.
Madsen was able to attend junior college, but was not able to finish as the universe had a different path for the young entrepreneur. She started her official entrepreneurial journey as a fitness instructor due to the fact she had a passion for health and nutrition with an almost seamless transition she decided to start her own vegan cookie company. But this transition was not without any speed bumps; she experienced several difficult situations that many entrepreneurs face; like questioning whether she was actually made out for entrepreneurship. It took her years to perfect her recipes, but her dedication, commitment, and consistency paid off because she now owns America’s #1 Black-Owned Vegan cookie company.
Maya’s Cookies took on national recognition during the pandemic when celebrities like Kerry Washington promoted and supported her brand. Washington’s help in promoting her brand and her support resulted in an increase in sales when many companies were collapsing and those sales are still up compared to other companies that had increased in sales during that period but were not able to sustain those numbers.
Maya’s Cookies was featured in Oprah Daily as one of “25 Black-Owned Businesses to Support.” Maya’s Cookies was also the proud sponsor of ABC 10 News Special: Black in America. Madsen is an inspirational woman where one can see the authenticity and the mental toughness that it takes to be successful. “In order to be great, you must continue to learn and never stop learning,” Madsen said.
“Every flavor has a story grounded in Maya’s travels, memories, and experiences,” according to her website(Mayacookies.com).
If you would like to try out Maya’s Cookies, you can buy them here. She does ship nationwide.
4760 Mission Gorge Place Suite G
San Diego C.A 92120
(858) 265-9957
orders@mayascookies.com
