Remembering Mike Wood ’79: LeapFrog Founder and Champion of Childhood Learning

Mike Wood ’79 appears in a photo for a 2009 alumni publication celebrating his accomplishments as an educational entrepreneur.
UC Law San Francisco remembers Mike Wood ’79, a visionary entrepreneur whose determination to help his son learn to read sparked a new era in early childhood education.
Wood, who passed away April 10 at age 72, was the founder of LeapFrog Enterprises, the company behind the iconic LeapPad. What began as a homemade learning tool to help his toddler sound out letters became a best-selling educational device that helped millions of children learn to read.
Professor Emeritus Leo Martinez ’78 recalls his former classmate Wood as someone who stood out early on for his energy and ambition, including in his decision to pursue a business and law degree at the same time through a then-new dual degree program.
“Mike was a perpetually sunny person who had an infectious enthusiasm,” Martinez said. “He never let success change him, and though the years he retained the enthusiasm that was his essence.”
After earning degrees from Stanford (B.A.), UC Berkeley (M.B.A), and UC Law SF (J.D.), Wood practiced corporate law before turning to tech innovation. His first product, the Phonics Desk, launched in 1995. In 1999, LeapFrog released the LeapPad, a talking book-tablet hybrid that became the best-selling toy of the 2000 holiday season. By 2008, LeapFrog had sold some 30 million learning devices, according to The New York Times.
“He was tenacious, thoughtful and caring,” said former LeapFrog CEO John Barbour. “Everyone loved working with him and he was very well respected across the industry.”
After retiring, Wood volunteered as a reading teacher at a local school, bringing his own LeapFrog devices into classrooms.
In 2023, a TikTok video of him teaching his granddaughter went viral, prompting thousands of heartfelt comments. “I owe him my entire childhood,” one viewer wrote. “This man helped me learn to speak,” said another.
Wood chose to end his life by physician-assisted death in Switzerland through the nonprofit Dignitas, before further progression of Alzheimer’s, his brother told The New York Times.
He is survived by his wife, son, two brothers, and three grandchildren. Wood leaves behind a legacy of innovation that continues to shape how children learn.