The toy that made Jazwares a household name was not something Judd Zebersky invented. Squishmallows came to the company through the 2020 acquisition of Kellytoy. What Judd Zebersky and his team did with it, however, was remarkable: they turned a small plush line into one of the most discussed toy brands in the world.

Squishmallows worked because of a combination of material softness, distinctive round shapes, and character depth. Each plush had a name, a birthday called a squishday, and a personal backstory. The characters were designed to feel like personalities, not just products. When TikTok users began sharing their collections and discoveries, the brand spread without a traditional advertising push. Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian became publicly known fans. More than 100 million units sold in a single year, at prices ranging from five to thirty dollars.

The Foundation Zebersky Built

Judd Zebersky had spent decades preparing Jazwares to handle that kind of demand. He started the company in 1997 after leaving his law practice, spending his early months in Chinese factories learning manufacturing processes including injection molding, blow molding, rotocasting, and design engineering. That direct knowledge informed how the company hired, built operations, and evaluated products.

Jazwares grew through licensed partnerships first, securing deals with Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite. Alleghany Capital Corporation invested in 2014, took a majority position in 2016, and was later acquired by Berkshire Hathaway in 2022. The company landed on TIME’s Most Influential Companies list and earned recognition from both Fast Company and Fortune. Judd Zebersky received the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs honor in 2024. He stepped down from the CEO role on March 20, 2026, leaving a company with approximately 1,400 employees distributing products in more than 100 countries.

Giving Back at Scale

Zebersky established Jazwares Cares alongside the company itself. The philanthropic arm has donated millions of toys and maintains ongoing partnerships with children’s hospitals, Title I schools, Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots, and Ronald McDonald House. The Zebersky family’s personal donation of two million dollars to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital reflected a commitment that ran parallel to the company’s commercial growth. Refer to this page to learn more.

Learn more about Judd Zebersky on https://toyworldmag.co.uk/jazwares-announces-departure-of-senior-leadership/