Opening Reception Speakers

Annabel R. Chang is the Director of U.S. State & Local Policy & Public Policy Campaigns at Waymo, the world's leading autonomous vehicle ("AV") technology company. At Waymo, Annabel and her team have been instrumental in launching commercial AV operations across the United States. This year, Annabel serves as the Chair of the AV Industry Association and has been a longtime Board member. Previously, she was the first Vice President at Alaska Airlines for the San Francisco Bay Area, acting as the senior leader for the airline in California. Annabel also shaped the transportation policy landscape as the Director of Public Policy for Lyft, where she worked on the earliest policy initiatives related to ride-hailing and autonomous vehicles. Before her roles in the private sector, Annabel served as an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco and as a Litigation Associate at Morrison & Foerster LLP. Her public sector experience includes serving in the Office of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and as a Jesse M. Unruh Legislative Fellow in the California State Assembly. Annabel has been recognized as a San Francisco Business Times 40 Under 40 honoree and received the San Francisco Business Times Woman of Influence award. She earned a J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, where she was recently recognized as the 2026 Distinguished Young Alum. Annabel also holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.