Judd Zebersky’s Jazwares Journey Toys, Philanthropy, and Squishmallows
Jazwares grew from a solo venture into a company with 1,400 employees and products in more than 100 countries. Behind that growth was Judd Zebersky, who founded the company after leaving a law practice and spent nearly three decades leading it before stepping down as CEO on March 20, 2026.
Zebersky’s path to the toy business began with a conversation with his wife in the mid-1990s. He had a law degree from the University of Miami and a firm he had built. He wanted something different. With her support, he traveled to China in 1997, moving through toy factories in the country’s southern manufacturing regions. He learned injection molding, blow molding, and rotocasting from the ground up. He studied hair rooting and design engineering. He visited remote facilities where infrastructure was minimal and the pace of production was set by families, not corporations. The experience formed the operational backbone of everything Jazwares did afterward.
Licensed Hits and the Squishmallows Moment
Jazwares secured licensed deals with entertainment brands including Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite, which expanded its retail footprint and established supplier relationships with major entertainment companies. Two acquisitions, Wicked Cool Toys in 2019 and Kellytoy in 2020, added Pokémon merchandise and introduced Squishmallows to the portfolio. The Squishmallows line, featuring plush toys with character names, birthdays called squishdays, and detailed backstories, captured a moment on social media that few toy lines had managed. TikTok drove awareness without a formal advertising spend. Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian became fans. Sales exceeded 100 million units in a single year at retail prices between five and thirty dollars.
Capital Partners, Recognition, and Giving Back
Alleghany Capital Corporation invested in Jazwares in 2014 and took a majority interest in 2016, with Zebersky retaining control over day-to-day operations. Berkshire Hathaway absorbed Alleghany in 2022, adding Jazwares to its holdings. Industry recognition followed the growth TIME’s Most Influential Companies list, Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, and Fortune’s manufacturing and production workplace honor. Judd Zebersky received the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs award in 2024. The Jazwares Cares philanthropic program, established at the company’s founding, donated millions of toys and partnered with Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots, Ronald McDonald House, children’s hospitals, and Title I schools. The Zebersky family contributed two million dollars to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. David Neustein became CEO on March 23, 2026, three days after Judd Zebersky’s departure. Refer to this article for related information.
More about Judd Zebersky https://jazwares.uk/about-us/leadership
