Judd Zebersky Built Jazwares Through Licensing, Acquisitions, and Vision

Jazwares did not arrive at its current scale by accident. The company followed a clear path: build a licensing base with major entertainment brands, acquire businesses that add new capabilities or products, and maintain the operational knowledge to execute consistently. Judd Zebersky, its founder, established that approach from the beginning, including the part where the CEO himself spent months learning toy manufacturing inside Chinese factories before hiring anyone.

A Lawyer’s Detour Into Toys

Zebersky earned his JD from the University of Miami School of Law and launched a law practice before deciding to change course. In 1997, he flew to China with no manufacturing background. “I went to remote places in China on dirt roads where entire families get around on a single motorcycle,” he said. Judd Zebersky learned injection molding, blow molding, rotocasting, design engineering, and hair rooting methods through direct observation and participation. The knowledge he acquired shaped how the company built its operational teams.

The company’s early licensed portfolio included Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite. In 2019, Jazwares acquired Wicked Cool Toys, which included a Pokémon license. A year later, the Kellytoy acquisition brought Squishmallows aboard, a brand that would define the company’s next phase.

Squishmallows, Capital, and a Closing Chapter

Squishmallows went viral on TikTok, attracting fans including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian and selling over 100 million units in a single year, with individual prices ranging from $5 to $30. Alleghany Capital Corporation first invested in Jazwares in 2014, with a majority stake following in 2016, in both cases leaving Zebersky’s day-to-day control intact. Berkshire Hathaway inherited the company through its Alleghany acquisition in Q4 2022. Jazwares earned a spot on TIME’s Most Influential Companies list and received honors from Fast Company and Fortune. Judd Zebersky appeared on The Business Report’s Top 50 Entrepreneurs list in 2023 and received the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs award in 2024. The company’s philanthropic arm, Jazwares Cares, donated millions of toys over the years to children’s hospitals, schools, and nonprofits including Make-A-Wish and Toys for Tots. He stepped down from Jazwares on March 20, 2026. Refer to this article for more information.

More about Judd Zebersky on https://www.linkedin.com/posts/university-of-miami-school-of-law_judd-and-laura-zebersky-jd-93-toymakers-activity-7249433715506843648-E0Af

Jazwares did not arrive at its current scale by accident. The company followed a clear path: build a licensing base with major entertainment brands, acquire businesses that add new capabilities or products, and maintain the operational knowledge to execute consistently. Judd Zebersky, its founder, established that approach from the beginning, including the part where the…