Sheryl Leach

As a producer, creator and entrepreneur, Sheryl Leach is a proven success in the field of children's and family entertainment. Sheryl turned a desire to find quality interactive and educational entertainment into one of the most successful children's properties of all time. As the Founder/Creator of Barney, she developed and launched the property in the US and in 100 countries around the world. She built Barney to be one of the highest-rated children's series on television, one of the best-selling children's video brands in the history of the industry, as well as a an international record-breaking licensing and publishing phenomenon. In addition, Sheryl collaborated on a world-class theme park attraction with Universal Studios and produced an internationally successful theatrical release with Polygram Filmed Entertainment.

Sheryl has received numerous awards and honors for her achievements. She was named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by the CNBC cable network, has been honored with a National Freedoms Foundation Award, and received a national humanitarian award from B'nai B'rith International - the first woman to receive this prestigious award since Eleanor Roosevelt. Sheryl received an honorary doctorate degree from Texas A&M University. She is a member of several boards: the CPTV Board of Trustees, the US Trust Advisory Council for CT, and the Trickle Up Program Board of Trustees.

Her speaking credits include the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., The Detroit Economic Club and the national conference of American Women in Economic Development. She has been a featured guest on many talk shows including "The Today Show," "Good Morning America," "CBS This Morning," and "Donahue."

Sheryl is a vigorous advocate for quality, non-violent children's programming, not only in the United States, but also worldwide. She has participated in the National Ready to Learn Television Forum in Washington, D.C., at which national leaders in the field shared ideas about enhancing television's teaching value. She was a speaker and delegate at the first World Summit on Television and Children in Melbourne, Australia.

Today, Sheryl is utilizing the expertise and resources she gained from the Barney phenomenon to provide opportunities for other producers and distributors of quality entertainment to realize their dreams. As co-founder of the Shei'rah Foundation, Sheryl supports visionaries, media projects and entertainment channels producing programming that enhances, celebrates and challenges the human spirit—programming that brings a positive, uplifting message to the world. Through the Shei'rah Foundation, co-founder Howard Rosenfeld and Sheryl are currently sponsoring projects with WorldLink TV, Connecticut Public Television, NextNext Entertainment, and the Foundation for Conscious Evolution.

Sheryl holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education with a specialty in Spanish from Southern Methodist University, and a master's degree in bilingual education from Texas A & M University. Her professional history includes roles as a teacher, a writer, an administrator, a bilingual education consultant, a director of public relations, and an educational computer software sales and marketing director.

Sheryl splits her time between her home in Warren, CT, and Greenwich where she lives with her son Patrick.