Laura Hackney

Laura Hackney is the Executive Director and Cofounder of AnnieCannons, Inc. She runs the organization’s training program to teach survivors of human trafficking coding and other skills demanded by today’s technology companies. In addition to this training, AnnieCannons, Inc. provides employment opportunities for graduates by securing contract development work from corporations and small businesses. Previously, Hackney was the manager of the Program on Human Rights at Stanford University where she led research initiatives on human trafficking, women's rights, and public health. At Stanford, she also worked as the Senior Research Associate for Stanford’s Anti-Trafficking Project in the Mekong Sub-Region and as a Program Associate for the Freeman Spogli Institute’s International Policy Implementation Lab. Her work focused on the connections between regional and cross-border irregular migration practices, gender dynamics and changing immigration policies in China, Myanmar, and Thailand. Specifically, she extensively investigated the issue of trafficking Burmese women and girls into the marriage market of China. In the United States, she worked with the Human Trafficking Task Force within the San Francisco Police Department’s Special Victims Unit and supports many local Bay Area anti-trafficking groups. She holds a Master’s degree from Stanford University, and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley.