Compass Rose International’s story is deeply personal—rooted in the life of its founder, Katie Hilborn. Born to a mother with severe mental illness, Katie was abandoned as a newborn but was adopted by a loving family who helped her reach her full potential. This early experience of resilience and being given a second chance fueled Katie’s passion to help children realize their potential and overcome challenges.

In 2011, that passion took her to the remote valleys of Nepal, where she volunteered with children. There, she uncovered a startling truth: 85% of the children in orphan homes had living parents, according to UNICEF. Determined to make a change, Katie launched her first initiative—providing sustainable income opportunities like goats and buffalo to widowed and abandoned mothers to keep families together.

Then, in 2015, a devastating earthquake struck Nepal. Amid the chaos, Katie and her team, including Dr. Laxmi Tamang, delivered relief to the hardest-hit areas of the Nuwakot District. Their efforts uncovered a shocking child trafficking ring, run by local politicians selling girls to Indian brothels. This discovery became a turning point. Katie, Dr. Laxmi, and a newly formed village development committee that included local businessman KarmaJit Tamang, moved swiftly. They established the Girls INpowerment Center & Dormitory—a sanctuary providing education, self-development, and self-defense, empowering girls to reclaim their futures.

As the center’s impact grew, so did its reach. Economic development projects flourished, local businesses emerged, and vocational training programs supported the community of 3,000. A focused response to a crisis became a holistic, community-wide initiative.

By 2021, the mission expanded to Colorado United States, where rising teen suicide rates highlighted a lack of mental health support in schools. Katie, drawing on her own childhood experiences and time as a teacher, saw many young women seeking validation externally. Compass Rose International responded with a unique lucid dreaming technique to help girls access their subconscious minds and internal guidance systems—a central element of the Compass Rose Curriculum, now taught in both Colorado and Nepal.


Compass Rose International is a global movement driven by the belief that every girl has an inner compass guiding her toward her True North. From Nepal’s valleys to Colorado’s peaks, the organization is dedicated to INpowering girls with the tools and confidence they need to navigate life’s challenges and shape their own futures. True INpowerment, it believes, starts from within.