From Factory Floors in China to Squishmallows: The Judd Zebersky Story

When Judd Zebersky flew to China in 1997, he carried a law degree from the University of Miami School of Law and very little else relevant to manufacturing. He had just walked away from his own law firm. What he found in those factories changed the direction of his career and, eventually, the toy industry itself.

Zebersky spent months inside Chinese manufacturing plants, learning the mechanics of toy production in detail. Injection molding, blow molding, rotocasting, hair rooting methods he absorbed the technical vocabulary and the hands-on processes alike. His goal was to understand how things were actually made, not just how to sell them.

Licensing as a Launchpad

Jazwares grew its early reputation through licensed products tied to major entertainment brands. Partnerships with Minecraft, Fortnite, and Sonic the Hedgehog gave the company visibility and shelf space while Zebersky built out internal infrastructure. Strategic acquisitions later broadened the portfolio: Wicked Cool Toys joined in 2019, followed by Kellytoy in 2020.

Kellytoy came with Squishmallows. The marshmallow-soft plush line, with its roster of named characters each featuring a personal biography and a squishday, detonated on social media. TikTok videos drove demand beyond anything the category had seen. Celebrities including Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian publicly claimed their favorites. In a single year, more than 100 million units sold.

Alleghany Capital Corporation entered as an investor in 2014 and acquired a majority stake in 2016. When Berkshire Hathaway purchased Alleghany in the fourth quarter of 2022, Jazwares came along with it a remarkable trajectory for a company started by a lawyer who once navigated dirt roads in rural China to visit factory operations.

Philanthropy at the Core

Judd Zebersky built Jazwares Cares into the company from the start. The program has sent millions of toy donations to children’s hospitals, Title I schools, and nonprofits such as Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots, and Ronald McDonald House. The Zebersky family also contributed $2 million personally to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

Zebersky stepped down as CEO on March 20, 2026. Jazwares now operates in more than 100 countries with a workforce of approximately 1,400 employees. Read 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

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