In 1971, he and his wife, Lilo, launched a now highly successful publishing company, CMP Media, Inc., which became a leader in providing information and internet services for the high-tech industries. The company became known for its excellent, socially responsible policies, and especially for its pioneering on-site day care center.
In 1988, their son, Michael Leeds, took over as president and CEO, and his brother, Daniel Leeds, became president of International Publishing. Under their leadership, the company experienced dramatic growth over the next 10 years. This gave Lilo and Gerry the opportunity to move away from the day-to-day management of the company and allowed them to shift their focus and their resources on improving the education of children at risk of failure.
They had arrived in the United States in 1939 as refugees from Hitler's Germany, with virtually no money. They realized that their good education and supportive families were their most important resources for future success.
Their interest in education is to make it possible for young people who grow up in poverty to succeed, first, by completing their high school education, then by going on to college or other post-secondary education, and thus break the cycle of poverty for themselves and for their children.
In 1990, they applied their entrepreneurial instincts and knowledge to launch the Institute for Student Achievement. Its mission is to improve the education of children at risk to enable them to succeed in our society. These young people grow up in difficult social-economic conditions; without an excellent education most will face a bleak future.
The enhanced education support provided by the Institute, in partnership with low performing schools, is based on the Student Achievement Method that includes not only academic enrichment, but also an unusually strong component of counseling and personal development. It sets high goals for the youngsters from the beginning, and provides parent participation, college and career preparation, trips, internships, and community service.
The Institute's programs and support are focused on the lowest performing quartile of students in middle schools and high schools. It has achieved remarkable results. There are now more than 2,000 youngsters in 20 schools in New York, Massachusetts, Virginia, and California. More than 600 have graduated from high school, about 20 have already graduated from college, and some are now in graduate school.
Gerry Leeds is also founder of a new organization, Alliance for Excellent Education, Inc., which is committed to making an excellent education the right of every child, a national policy, and a reality within the decade.
Gerry and Lilo Leeds have been recipients of a large number of civic awards, including Socially Responsible Entrepreneurs of the Year, LIA Humanitarian Award, and Outstanding Philanthropists of the year for NSFRE/L.I. They were honored by the Urban League of L.I., the NYS chapter of NAACP, the NYS United Teachers Association, and the American Jewish Committee. They were cited by Newsday in its report on "100 Who Shaped A Century," and were also among the 10 honorees selected by WCBS-TV for recognition in its annual "Fulfilling the Dream" celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Gerry pursued an education in engineering and business management, spent three years as an electronics specialist in the U.S. Army, and then developed a high-tech career during the early years of Silicon Valley. He holds a bachelor of Arts and Science and an honorary doctorate from Adelphi University and a masters of arts and an honorary doctorate from the State University of New York at Stonybrook. He has taught management at Long Island University and Hofstra University, and lectures annually to MBA students on socially responsible business management.