Madeline Hilliard

Hilliard’s path from pre-med to philanthropist to entrepreneur hit its first pivot on a May morning in 2020 when she got word that a friend of hers had not woken up that day due to polysubstance overdose. On the heels of several other student overdose deaths that school year at her university. Madeline was heartbroken by how a fully preventable cause of death was taking the lives of so many of her peers when they had hardly started. In the case of her friend’s passing, the preceding events revealed 3 distinct moments where - had her friend or the well-intending bystanders known a few key pieces of information - his death more than likely would have been prevented. While she was too late to help her friend, the problem of overdose appeared solvable for others. The solution was clear: evidence-based education.

The essential education on substances’ biochemical action in the body, protective laws that reduce fears around calling for help, and practices to reduce drug mortality risks fell within the scope of Hilliard’s neuroscience and emergency medical training. By the afternoon of that day in May 2020, she gathered a few of her fellow students who began developing peer-to-peer education they hoped would save a life and making it accessible to students who need it. That team became T.A.C.O., the non-profit now operated by nearly 300 student volunteers nationwide that has now saved lives numbering in the four-digits. In 2022, Hilliard led the winning team in the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab’s Venture Competition to secure the initial funding for DopaGE, which she pitched to build education with the engagement of a peer-to-peer approach yet easy to implement for large organizations with thousands of students seeking life-saving training. DopaGE expands on T.A.C.O.’s breakout success with students to provide families, colleges, and healthcare organizations with a scalable solution for overdose prevention education.