Judd Zebersky’s career does not follow any conventional narrative about the toy industry. He trained as a lawyer, passed the bar, opened his own practice, and then decided he would rather make toys. That decision took him to China in 1997 and launched a company that now distributes products in more than 100 countries.
Zebersky earned his JD from the University of Miami School of Law. When he told his wife he wanted to make toys, she told him to follow his dreams, and Jazwares began to take shape.
Months in China
He arrived without manufacturing experience and made up for it through time on the factory floor. Judd Zebersky studied injection molding, blow molding, and rotocasting. He learned how hair rooting worked and how engineering decisions affected the gap between a design sketch and a finished product. He visited factories in isolated parts of southern China, places reached by dirt roads.
“I visited toy factories throughout the south of China,” Zebersky said in 2014, “and immersed myself in the manufacturing, design, and engineering of toys.”
Jazwares launched with licensed products built around entertainment properties like Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite. Two acquisitions accelerated the pace: Wicked Cool Toys in 2019 added Pokémon, and Kellytoy in 2020 brought Squishmallows.
The Squishmallows Breakthrough
Squishmallows are plush toys with individual names, bios, and assigned birthdays called squishdays. They spread across TikTok, collected fans including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian, and sold more than 100 million units in a year at prices between $5 and $30. The brand helped Jazwares earn placement on TIME’s Most Influential Companies list and recognition from both Fast Company and Fortune.
Alleghany Capital Corporation invested in Jazwares in 2014 and took a majority position in 2016. Berkshire Hathaway acquired the stake indirectly through its purchase of Alleghany in 2022. Judd Zebersky led operations through every ownership change. He received the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs award in 2024. Jazwares Cares, founded alongside the company, has sent millions of toys to hospitals and nonprofits. Judd Zebersky stepped down as CEO on March 20, 2026, with David Neustein taking over leadership. Refer to this article for additional information.
Learn 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