MEET KATIE
Katie Hilborn is a seven-time award-winning humanitarian and visionary founder, recognized alongside the Dalai Lama. She has raised millions to transform lives through children’s charities and inspired over 100,000 volunteer hours. Born into adversity and adopted, Katie’s journey is a testament to resilience, purpose, and the power to turn challenges into growth.
MEET KATIE
Katie Hilborn is a seven-time award-winning humanitarian and visionary founder, recognized alongside the Dalai Lama. She has raised millions to transform lives through children’s charities and inspired over 100,000 volunteer hours. Born into adversity and adopted, Katie’s journey is a testament to resilience, purpose, and the power to turn challenges into growth.
A MASTER STORY WEAVER
ROOTS OF RESILIENCE
Years later, she discovered she was also the 8th granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, America’s original First Lady. This rare dual lineage—one chosen, one ancestral—instilled a deep responsibility to serve something greater than herself.
At 20, Katie’s life shifted again when her birth mother, who battled mental illness, passed from multiple sclerosis. That moment awakened her to life’s fragility, the weight of privilege, and the urgency of purpose. These early life contrasts became the roots of her resilience—and the compass guiding a life of global impact and legacy.
A LIFE OF PURPOSE
Her passion for education and global impact led her to become a teacher, working in Vietnam, Scotland, and Colorado. These experiences gave her firsthand insight into how education transforms lives and builds resilience, deepening her commitment to addressing global challenges.
In 2011, Katie founded Compass Rose International (formerly Global Orphan Prevention), a nonprofit dedicated to helping young women and tackling the root causes of child trafficking and mental wellness.
AWARD-WINNING IMPACT
Compass Rose International helps young women overcome challenges like trafficking and mental health struggles. Its INpowerment Centers in Nepal have reduced trafficking rates to zero, addressing root causes through education and economic development.
The organization has received awards such as two Silvers at the 2021 Anthem Awards, Gold and Silver at the 2022 Telly Awards, and the Guidestar Platinum Level Seal of Transparency.
Katie’s keynote speeches inspire audiences to align their actions with their values and embrace transformative growth. Book her today to bring purpose-driven storytelling to your next event.
A MASTER STORY WEAVER
Katie’s thought-provoking anecdotes—from walking pumas in the Bolivian jungle and living with African Maasai to going undercover during the Nepal earthquakes—captivate and inspire. Her ability to weave humor, humanity, and hope into every keynote leaves audiences motivated to embrace their own transformative journeys.
ROOTS OF RESILIENCE
What began as a life of trauma and instability became the foundation for purpose and possibility when Katie was adopted into a Chicago legacy family whose architectural work helped shape the city—designing many of its most iconic museums and landmarks. Raised in an environment of creativity, civic values, and vision, she learned early that legacy isn’t inherited—it’s built.
Years later, she discovered she was also the 8th granddaughter of Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, America’s original First Lady. This rare dual lineage—one chosen, one ancestral—instilled a deep responsibility to serve something greater than herself.
At 20, Katie’s life shifted again when her birth mother, who battled mental illness, passed from multiple sclerosis. That moment awakened her to life’s fragility, the weight of privilege, and the urgency of purpose. These early life contrasts became the roots of her resilience—and the compass guiding a life of global impact and legacy.
A LIFE OF PURPOSE
In 2006, while working at a coffee shop in Breckenridge, Colorado, Katie saved her tips to fund her first project: painting educational murals at a Ugandan primary school. This small but impactful act sparked her lifelong dedication to creating sustainable change.
Her passion for education and global impact led her to become a teacher, working in Vietnam, Scotland, and Colorado. These experiences gave her firsthand insight into how education transforms lives and builds resilience, deepening her commitment to addressing global challenges.
In 2011, Katie founded Compass Rose International (formerly Global Orphan Prevention), a nonprofit dedicated to helping young women and tackling the root causes of child trafficking and mental wellness.
AWARD-WINNING IMPACT
Katie’s work has earned her global recognition, including Silver for Humanitarian Leader of the Year at the Anthem Awards, alongside the Dalai Lama and Jane Goodall.
Compass Rose International helps young women overcome challenges like trafficking and mental health struggles. Its INpowerment Centers in Nepal have reduced trafficking rates to zero, addressing root causes through education and economic development.
The organization has received awards such as two Silvers at the 2021 Anthem Awards, Gold and Silver at the 2022 Telly Awards, and the Guidestar Platinum Level Seal of Transparency.
Katie’s keynote speeches inspire audiences to align their actions with their values and embrace transformative growth. Book her today to bring purpose-driven storytelling to your next event.
CLIENTS INCLUDE:
CLIENTS INCLUDE:
