Maggie Doyne

Maggie Doyne graduated high school in Mendham New Jersey and left on a gap year of travel abroad. It was her first trip outside the United States. She started out volunteering in India, but soon found herself in Nepal where a recent civil war had left thousands of orphans. Walking by a river, Maggie met a 6 year old little girl named Hima breaking rocks and selling them to support herself. The two connected as Maggie realized that, except for the luck of being born in the US, she could have been that little girl. With her lifetime savings of $5000 from babysitting, Maggie adopted Hima and soon started a charity called BlinkNow. Maggie’s gap year has extended over a decade, adopting over 50 children and starting a school for more than 300.

Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, noted for mountain climbing and wilderness trails. Its physical infrastructure lacks paved roads and its political infrastructure mirrors tribal origins. Like Nepal’s Mount Everest, it’s a steep climb to the top with diminishing oxygen en route. Maggie Doyne will tell her story of overcoming the greatest obstacles with many lessons for success and humility.

Maggie will tell her story of how a high school graduate with no international, educational or business experience has led one of the fastest growing and successful organizations in the developing world.

Every family faces challenges in raising their children from scraped knees to life-threatening events. The parent has to get through it with the child and family intact.

Maggie Doyne is the mother of over 50 orphaned children in Nepal. Many of these children were abandoned during the civil war in Nepal, and had been abused, sold into slavery or suffered from serious illnesses. Having only graduated from high school in New Jersey with no training, Maggie started BlinkNow to care for these children. Maggie will tell her story of finding any path, anyone, anywhere to help her kids and the learning the deepest love while doing it.