John hanky

Person

Founder of Niantic and a key figure in the development of Google Earth and Pokémon Go. Sayan Bannister recounted how she persistently pursued him to secure an early investment in Niantic.


entitydetail.created_at

7/22/2025, 7:25:27 AM

entitydetail.last_updated

7/22/2025, 8:04:37 AM

entitydetail.research_retrieved

7/22/2025, 8:04:37 AM

Summary

John Hanke is a prominent American technology executive, best known as the founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc., the software company responsible for Pokémon Go, which was spun out of Google. Prior to Niantic, Hanke led Google's Geo product division, overseeing products like Google Earth and Google Maps. He also co-founded Keyhole, Inc., a geospatial data visualization firm that was acquired by Google in 2004. His entrepreneurial success and Niantic's growth have been cited by investors like Sayan Bannister of Long Journey Ventures as an example of successful non-consensus investing.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Born

    1967

  • Known For

    Keyhole, Inc., Google Earth, Niantic, Inc., Pokémon Go

  • Alma Mater

    University of California, Berkeley; University of Texas at Austin

  • Occupation

    Businessman and entrepreneur

  • Place of Birth

    Cross Plains, Texas

  • Role at Google

    Led Google's Geo product division (Google Earth, Google Maps, StreetView, SketchUp, and Panoramio)

Timeline
  • Born. (Source: web_search_results (Wikipedia))

    1967

  • Co-founded and became CEO of Keyhole, Inc. (Source: web_search_results (Wikipedia))

    2001

  • Keyhole, Inc. was acquired by Google for $35 million in stock. (Source: web_search_results (Wikipedia))

    2004

Hanky Panky (Tommy James and the Shondells song)

"Hanky Panky" is a song written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich for their group, the Raindrops. A 1964 recording by the Shondells, later reissued in 1966 under the band's new, and more successful, incarnation of "Tommy James and the Shondells," is the best known version, reaching #1 in the United States in 1966.

Web Search Results
  • Wednesday, August 10: Historian John Hankey's 'Railroads in ...

    John Hankey is an independent scholar, curator, historian and railroader. A native of Baltimore, he served the B&O Railroad in a variety of capacities including company historian, locomotive engineer and Curator of the B&O Railroad Museum. He holds a BS from the John Hopkins University, an MA as a Hagley Fellow at the University of Delaware and did further graduate study at the University of Chicago. He retains current qualifications as a locomotive engineer and conductor, and is an adjunct [...] professor in the University of Nebraska-Omaha Department of History. Hankey also is curator of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, a major heritage and economic development railroad operation in Maryland. He is a frequent contributor to Trains Magazine and other publications. Hankey currently serves as a consultant to railroads, railroad museums and historic preservation projects throughout the United States. [...] # UPRR Museum ## Wednesday, August 10: Historian John Hankey's 'Railroads in American Culture' Lecture (6-7 p.m.) # We are offering a special lecture on Union Pacific in American popular culture by noted railroad historian John Hankey. Due to the popularity of Hankey's presentations, advance ticket purchases are strongly recommended.

  • John Hanke - Wikipedia

    John Hanke (born 1967) is an American technology executive. Hanke led Google's Geo product division, which includes Google Earth, Google Maps, StreetView, SketchUp, and Panoramio. He is founder and CEO of Niantic, Inc., a software company spun out of Google and the creator of Pokémon Go. ## Early life and startups [...] Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia ## Contents # John Hanke | John Hanke | | | --- | --- | | Hanke at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con | | | Born | 1967 (age 57–58) Cross Plains, Texas | | Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley University of Texas at Austin | | Occupation(s) | Businessman and entrepreneur | | Known for | Keyhole, Inc., Google Earth, Niantic, Inc., Pokémon Go | [...] Hanke became the co-founder and CEO of geospatial data visualization firm Keyhole in 2001. Early funding was provided by the corporate venture group within Sony, the CIA's venture capital firm In-Q-Tel, and the technology company NVIDIA. The startup was able to garner significant attention from its mapping technology use early in the Iraq War. Keyhole's mapping technology was also noted by Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and Google acquired Keyhole in 2004 in a deal worth $35 million in stock.

  • John Hankey - Legacies of British Slavery - UCL

    The will of John Hankey "of the City of London merchant, second son of Sir Thomas Hankey late of the said City Knight deceased by Sarah his wife who was one of the daughters of Sir John Barnard Knight deceased, late one of the aldermen of the said City" mentions his partnership with Peter Simond, ownership of estates in Grenada and mortgages held on estates in Grenada. John Hankey was born 06/09/1741. Died 05/09/1792, of Mincing Lane. [...] # John Hankey #### Profile & Legacies Summary 6th Sep 1741 - 1792 ## Biography Merchant. Adopted son and business partner of Peter Simond. Inherited Simond's estates in Grenada as tenant-in-common with Susanna Louisa St John and Sir John Trevelyan. Father of John Peter Hankey. [...] John Hankey was a witness to the 1789-90 Committee on the Slave Trade. 'Is a very large proprietor of lands in the Ceded Islands, since 1764, also has very large sums outstanding', given later as £250,000 at 5%. #### Sources

  • 2020: John P. Hankey – RLHS

    If there ever was an elder statesman or intellectual plow-horse in railway heritage preservation it is John P. Hankey. No other individual in the railway history field has left a more indelible mark on the theory, study and interpretation of railroading than him. With degrees earned from the Johns Hopkins University, the University of Delaware and ABD work at the University of Chicago, Hankey, who hails as a fifth-generation Baltimore & Ohio railroader, has always championed himself as a [...] Clearly for all of his enduring and myriad contributions to railroad history, preservation and the national discourse over three decades, John P. Hankey is richly deserving of the R&LHS Senior Achievement Award. [...] Perhaps John’s greatest contribution has been consulting to museums, historical societies, preservation projects, exhibition installations and make-overs, and film/television/radio documentary projects over the last two decades (1986-present), specializing in collections and interpretation issues, history, and historic preservation. He has spent a great deal of his career doing institutional repair and advising, institutional assessments and planning exercises including getting tangled up in

  • John Hankey — The Movie Database (TMDB)

    | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2009 | | Dark Legacy … Producer | The Movie Database (TMDB) ### The Basics ### Get Involved ### Community ### Legal Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it. Login Sign Up ### Global ### On media pages ### On TV season pages ### On TV episode pages ### On all image pages ### On all edit pages ### On discussion pages ### Settings Want to rate or add this item to a list? Login Not a member? Sign up and join the community [...] The Movie Database (TMDB) ### Personal Info Known For Directing Known Credits 4 Gender - Birthday - Place of Birth - Also Known As #### Content Score 50 Still needs a little work. Looks like we're missing the following data in en-US or en-US... Login to edit Keyboard Shortcuts Login to report an issue ## John Hankey ### Biography We don't have a biography for John Hankey. ### Known For Dark Legacy Dark Legacy Dark Legacy II Dark Legacy II JFK II: The Bush Connection [...] | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2018 | | Is Trump for Real? … Writer | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2014 | | Dark Legacy II … Writer | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2009 | | Dark Legacy … Writer | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2003 | | JFK II: The Bush Connection … Writer | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2018 | | Is Trump for Real? … Writer | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | | 2014 | | Dark Legacy II … Writer |