Judd Zebersky on Philanthropy and Purpose at Jazwares

Judd Zebersky built Jazwares into a global toy company over nearly 30 years, but from the beginning he treated giving back as part of the company’s identity rather than an afterthought. Jazwares Cares, the organization’s philanthropic arm, was established at the company’s founding and has donated millions of toys over the years.

Zebersky stepped down as CEO on March 20, 2026, closing a chapter that began when he left a Florida law practice in 1997 to learn toy manufacturing in China.

Charitable Commitments Built Into the Company

Jazwares Cares maintains partnerships with children’s hospitals, Title I schools, and nonprofits including Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots, and Ronald McDonald House. For Zebersky, the work was personal as much as corporate. He and his family contributed $2 million to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Florida, and the Judd Zeberskys have been significant supporters of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida.

Zebersky earned a JD from the University of Miami School of Law and built a law firm before pivoting to consumer products. In 1997, he traveled to China and spent months learning how toys were manufactured, studying injection molding, blow molding, rotocasting, and design engineering firsthand.

“I went to remote places in China on dirt roads where entire families get around on a single motorcycle,” he told Miami Law in 2014, describing the depth of that immersive education.

A Company That Grew Through Partnerships and Acquisitions

Jazwares built its commercial base through licensed entertainment properties like Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite, then accelerated growth with the acquisition of Wicked Cool Toys in 2019 and Kellytoy in 2020. The Kellytoy deal added Squishmallows, which became a viral product line with sales of more than 100 million units in a single year.

Alleghany Capital Corporation took an early stake in 2014 and a majority position in 2016. Berkshire Hathaway later inherited the position through its 2022 acquisition of Alleghany. Throughout both ownership changes, Judd Zebersky retained day-to-day leadership of the company.

Jazwares earned a place on TIME’s Most Influential Companies list and received workplace honors from Fast Company and Fortune. Judd Zebersky was named to the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs list in 2024 and Top 50 Entrepreneurs by The Business Report in 2023. Refer to This Article for more information.

 

See for more about Judd Zebersky on https://www.jazwares.com/about-us/leadership