Larry D. Leinweber

Larry D. Leinweber is the founder and president of the Leinweber Foundation and a member of the Science Philanthropy Alliance’s board. He leads the Leinweber Foundation in its mission to invest boldly and optimistically in fundamental scientific research, the building block of innovation, and in educational opportunity for those who are its future.

Growing up on a small farm in rural Michigan with limited financial means, Leinweber appreciates the opportunities that education and science can unlock. After graduating from Michigan State University with a BS degree in physical sciences, he began his career at IBM in Detroit as a systems engineer. He went on to found his first startup in his 20s, and then most notably founded New World Systems.

New World was an early pioneer in public safety software, providing solutions for 911 dispatch centers, law enforcement, fire departments, and paramedics, as well as enterprise resource planning software for city and county governments. Leinweber led New World as president and CEO for over 30 years, growing the company to over 450 employees with more than 2,000 customers in 48 states and internationally.  

After a successful career as a software entrepreneur, he founded the Leinweber Foundation in 2015. With an evolving focus on high impact investments, the foundation’s mission is to support scientific research, education, and Michigan communities.  

He is particularly proud of the network of Leinweber Institutes and Forums for Theoretical Physics that launched in 2025 with assistance from the Science Philanthropy Alliance. With over $150M invested to support the brightest scientific minds at eight of the nation’s top physics research centers - at Caltech, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, and the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton - the network seeks to accelerate breakthrough discoveries that will provide exceptional long range benefits for future generations.