Most toy company executives understand supply chains through spreadsheets. Judd Zebersky understood them through years on factory floors. Before he became the CEO of one of the industry’s most recognized companies, he was a lawyer who decided to go to China and learn toy manufacturing from scratch.
Zebersky earned his JD at the University of Miami School of Law and practiced law before making the switch in 1997. In China, he spent months inside factories, studying injection molding, blow molding, rotocasting, and hair rooting processes. He traveled to remote areas of southern China where, by his own description, entire families shared a single motorcycle for transportation. That grounded education shaped the company he built.
Jazwares’ Licensing Foundation
Jazwares entered the market through entertainment licensing, partnering with brands like Minecraft, Fortnite, and Sonic the Hedgehog to produce toys with built-in fan bases. The model gave the company shelf presence while Zebersky refined operations. Acquisitions eventually added depth: Wicked Cool Toys in 2019 and Kellytoy in 2020. The Kellytoy deal brought Squishmallows.
What followed was one of the toy industry’s most unexpected success stories. Squishmallows huggable plush characters each named, storied, and birthday-assigned spread across TikTok and pulled in celebrity attention from Lady Gaga to Kim Kardashian. More than 100 million units sold in a single year, at prices that made them accessible across every income level.
Alleghany Capital Corporation became a backer in 2014 and took a majority stake in 2016. Berkshire Hathaway inherited Jazwares as part of its Alleghany acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2022. Despite the ownership changes, Zebersky maintained control of day-to-day operations throughout.
Awards and Philanthropy
Jazwares received recognition from TIME’s Most Influential Companies, Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, and Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production. Judd Zebersky personally earned the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs honor in 2024 and appeared on The Business Report’s Top 50 Entrepreneurs list the prior year.
Jazwares Cares, active since the company’s founding, has placed millions of toys in children’s hospitals, Title I schools, and nonprofit programs including Make-A-Wish and Toys for Tots. The Zebersky family contributed $2 million to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. Zebersky stepped down on March 20, 2026, with David Neustein ascending to CEO on March 23. Visit this page on LinkedIn, for more information.
Find more about Judd Zebersky on https://jazwares.uk/about-us/leadership