New York venture capitalist Ken Lerer (an investor in Business Insider) has founded several successful organizations over the past few decades.

The first, a PR firm called Robinson Lerer Montgomery, evolved into a leading global communications company called RLM Finsbury (Lerer left the company in the 1990s).

Another Lerer venture, Huffington Post, has become one of the leading digital media companies in the world.

A third company, Lerer Ventures, which Lerer founded with his son Ben, has rapidly become one of New York's most visible early-stage venture capital firms.

And now Lerer has launched a new project:

Stop The NRA

Stop The NRA is dedicated to ending gun violence in America.

It is currently a three-person non-profit operation funded entirely by Lerer. It will expand as needed.

Lerer has been working on the gun issue for 12 years.

He has stopped giving money to Congress-people who voted against the recent gun control bill. He is working with New York mayor Mike Bloomberg on the latter's pro gun-control efforts. He also recently bought a full-page ad in The New York Times after the Newtown massacre with the aim of drawing attention to the issue.

Why is Lerer so focused on the gun problem?

Because, he says, "It's tearing the country apart."

"I also don't like bullies," he adds. "And the NRA is a bully. And Congress needs leadership from the outside."

Stop The NRA has launched a web site dedicated to the cause. You can check it out here >