Leonard H. Lavin (October 29, 1919 – August 2, 2017) was an American businessman, racehorse owner and breeder, and philanthropist, who, in 1955 founded the Alberto-Culver Company.
[1] He served as chairman emeritus of the company and was a director of the international manufacturer/distributor of personal care and household/grocery products.
Lavin was also a director of Histogen, a regenerative medicine company based in San Diego, California.
[3] In 1947 he married Bernice Weiser, who went on to become an executive of Alberto-Culver and played an important part in the company's success.
[4] Among their philanthropic activities is the Bernice and Leonard H. Lavin Endowed Scholarship for Inner City Chicagoland Students at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois,[5] the Lavin VentureStart programs in the Entrepreneurial Management Center at San Diego State University,[6] and the Leonard and Bernice Lavin Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Washington.