Laura Stack is Johnny Stack’s mom and the Founder & CEO of the nonprofit, Johnny’s Ambassadors. In the business world, Laura is known by her professional moniker, The Productivity Pro®. For thirty years, she was a Hall-of-Fame professional speaker, corporate spokesperson for many major brands, and bestselling author of eight previous books on employee productivity.
On November 20, 2019, Laura suddenly acquired the undesired wisdom of knowing what it’s like to lose one’s child. Her 19-year-old son, Johnny, died by suicide after becoming psychotic from dabbing high-potency THC concentrates.
Laura’s world took a 180. She filed for and received 501c3 nonprofit status for Johnny’s Ambassadors, Inc., with the mission to educate parents, teens, and communities about the dangers of today’s high-THC marijuana on adolescent brain development, mental illness, and suicide. She wrote the blockbuster book about Johnny’s life and death story, The Dangerous Truth About Today’s Marijuana: Johnny Stack’s Life and Death Story. Described as a woman with unstoppable drive and unwavering purpose, Laura hopes to help other teens, parents, and all adults with teens in their lives by honestly and boldly sharing Johnny’s story of his high-potency marijuana addiction, psychosis, and suicide.
The devastating loss of her child gives Laura a powerful voice and a platform for change. Laura sees it as her responsibility to share Johnny's warning to prevent other families from having to go through what she did and save other young lives from the harms of marijuana.
Laura’s platform now brings marijuana education, awareness, and prevention curriculum around the U.S. to raise awareness of THC use, mental illness, and suicide. She presents live and virtual keynotes, breakout sessions, and training for parents, teens, schools, healthcare, anti-drug coalitions, communities, corporate wellness programs, and government agencies.
Laura is the recipient of the Drug-Free America Foundation’s Moxie Award for protecting youth from substances, the Leadership in Advocacy Award from the National Speakers Association, and the American Association of Suicidology’s Loss Survivor of the Year Award. By sharing Johnny’s own warning about marijuana, Laura is determined to start a movement to bring teen marijuana use, mental illness, and suicide into the spotlight and get them to #StopDabbing.
Laura lives with her husband near Denver, Colorado and has two surviving adult children, ages 26 and 21.
“Forge ahead despite your pain and give meaning to your loss.” – Laura Stack