AnnieCannons was founded in 2015 in response to anti-trafficking trends and the widening economic disparity in cities around the country. AnnieCannons has worked in collaboration with more than 100 service providers to identify and enroll survivors of trafficking into their training program. The majority of people served by AnnieCannons identify as women (90%), and more than three-quarters are women of color. Many participants have experienced homelessness and are underserved. To address this, AnnieCannons focuses on training survivors in technical skills and working on real software projects in a trauma-responsive environment.
AnnieCannons offers a fully remote, trauma-informed training model designed specifically for survivors. Students move through technical coursework, receive mentorship from industry professionals, and apply their skills on real-world client projects. From coding to career placement, each step is built to foster healing, confidence, and economic independence.
Program Highlights:
• Technical Training Modules
Courses in software development, front-end/back-end engineering, cybersecurity, and machine learning.
• Real-World Project Experience
Students contribute code to real client work and build portfolio projects with the support of engineering mentors.
• Career Readiness
One-on-one coaching, career planning, mentorship, and 36+ professional development workshops.
• National Expansion
A Seven City Strategy building community-led ecosystems and employer networks in cities across the U.S.
Financial independence is one of the most critical factors in a survivor’s healing journey. Since 2015, AnnieCannons has placed students in full-time jobs and apprenticeships to help build careers. Approximately 70% of students secured employment, and AnnieCannons students have worked on over 100 software projects, earning over $3.4 million in income building software.
AnnieCannons also tracks social-emotional progress through a survivor-designed rubric focused on confidence, resilience, and career readiness.
Survivors of trafficking often face steep barriers to long-term stability. Many lack formal education, work experience, or access to high-wage employment. AnnieCannons fills this gap by delivering accessible, flexible, and high-impact tech education tailored to survivors’ lives and goals.
With GrantTank support, AnnieCannons will:
• Graduate 75 survivors through career-aligned tech training
Including advanced courses in coding, product development, and cybersecurity, supported by real industry certifications.
• Build bridges to meaningful employment
Supporting job placement and mentorship through new corporate partnerships, with a goal of 80% of participants placed within 6 months.
• Expand into seven key cities across the U.S.
Launching localized survivor ecosystems in Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The Jensen Project is committed to funding solutions that empower survivors to reclaim control of their futures. AnnieCannons represents a bold and innovative approach—one that sees survivors not just as recipients of support, but as leaders and builders in today’s economy.
In our review, we were especially moved by:
• Their unique trauma-informed model for high-wage, high-demand careers.
• Their use of survivor feedback to continuously evolve their curriculum and student supports.
• Their ambitious plan to scale community ecosystems and corporate engagement nationwide.
AnnieCannons is turning potential into opportunity—and in doing so, transforming what’s possible for survivors of trafficking.
Explore the Work. Support the Mission.
Want to learn more about the incredible impact AnnieCannons is making? Visit their website and follow them on social media to see their work in action, share their stories, and support their ongoing efforts to create a world free from exploitation.
Every click, follow, and share helps amplify the movement.
A yearly grant program, funding up to $2 Million to advance economic empowerment and housing opportunities for agencies who serve adult female survivors of human trafficking.
Armed with the latest news and insights on anti-trafficking organizations and policies, you can join us in the fight against sexual violence.
It takes funding for organizations to help women impacted by sexual violence, but it’s just the starting point. The Jensen Project’s holistic approach empowers nonprofits with grants, resources, and ongoing support to fuel the fight against sexual violence.