Maggie Dempsey – 2026 -2027 National American Miss New York Photo by Stephanie Dempsey
Avon native Maggie Dempsey, being crowned National American Miss New York was a dream 15 years in the making!
Maggie began competing in the National American Miss (NAM) pageant system when she was just nine years old. Over the years, she continued to compete, gaining experience and developing skills that would carry over into her everyday life. After placing first runner-up for the past two years, Maggie finally captured the title of Miss New York this past August at the state pageant held in New Jersey.
National American Miss is a scholarship pageant system that is approaching its 25th anniversary. The program offers opportunities for girls and young women of various ages, beginning with the Princess division and continuing through the older age divisions. Contestants are judged in three areas: personal interview, formal wear and personal introduction. Community service is also an important component of the NAM program, which encourages young women to build confidence, develop communication skills and become involved in their communities.
As Maggie likes to say, “With a little bit of heart and hustle, anything is possible!” After 15 years of working toward this goal, her determination and drive certainly paid off.
Maggie grew up in Avon and attended Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), where she earned her MBA. She currently works as a Product Manager in New York City. In her spare time, Maggie enjoys thrift shopping and is training to run in the 2027 New York City Marathon.
Keeping true to her technology background, Maggie is also the founder of Creating C.E.O.’s, an initiative developed to encourage and empower young girls to explore opportunities in fields traditionally dominated by men. As part of this work, Maggie collaborated with the Girl Scouts of New York to design and launch a Girl Scouts “Creator Badge” curriculum to inspire confidence, creativity, and ambition among girls of all backgrounds.
Maggie’s creativity and entrepreneurial spirit also led her to develop CrownChat, an AI-powered pageant interview practice app. The idea came from her own experiences preparing for pageant interviews.
For years, Maggie and her mother would sit together at the kitchen table practicing interview questions before competitions. However, when Maggie moved across the country, those practice sessions were no longer an option. With another pageant approaching, Maggie began looking for a way to continue preparing on her own.
That led to the creation of CrownChat, an app designed to help pageant contestants build confidence and improve their interview skills. Contestants can practice answering questions based on their own resumes, receive AI-generated feedback, and track their progress. Best of all, they can practice anytime and anywhere! What started as a solution to Maggie’s own interview preparation has now become a resource for pageant contestants around the world.
Maggie has also enjoyed success on the national pageant stage. At the 2025 National American Miss National Competition, she was selected as the Senior Face of Ashley Rene’s, a prom and pageant dress shop. Through this opportunity, Maggie has been featured in the shop’s social media promotions over the past year and was also selected to attend this year’s Sherri Hill Fashion Show in New York City.
Maggie is looking forward to representing New York at the National American Miss National Competition in Orlando, Florida, at the end of November, where she will compete alongside young women from across the country.
To follow Maggie’s journey, you can find her on Instagram at @thenamnymiss or visit @crownchatapp to learn more about CrownChat.
