[4] Hurd attended Stanford University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and communications with a minor in political science in 1977.

Terminator 2 and Armageddon both claimed the top spots at the worldwide box office in their respective release years,[11][12] solidifying Hurd's enduring influence in the realm of blockbuster cinema.

Documentaries Hurd has also produced several documentaries including three PBS documentaries focused on Native Americans in partnership with Cherokee director, Valerie Red-Horse Mohl: True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Code Talkers and Choctaw Code Talkers as well as Mankiller, celebrating the life of the late Wilma Mankiller, the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

She is involved with organizations such as Women In Film, The Smithsonian Institution, and The Producers Guild of America, where she has served on the board of directors.

Hurd has shared her expertise and perspectives at panels hosted by the US Embassies in Peru, Iceland, Georgia, Estonia, North Macedonia and Zimbabwe, among others.

These include the League of Conservation Voters, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and the McCain Institute.