Judd Zebersky stepped down as CEO of Jazwares on March 20, 2026, ending a leadership tenure that stretched nearly three decades and transformed the company from a startup into a globally recognized toy brand. David Neustein, who spent 14 years as Chief Operating Officer, succeeded him on March 23, 2026.
The transition marked the close of a career that began not in consumer products but in law. Zebersky earned his JD from the University of Miami School of Law and ran his own firm before deciding to enter an industry he had no formal training in. He made the pivot in 1997, flying to China and immersing himself in toy manufacturing at factories across the southern part of the country. Judd Zebersky learned the technical processes firsthand, from injection molding and blow molding to rotocasting and product engineering.
From Licensing Deals to Squishmallow
Jazwares built its early foundation on licensed products. Partnerships with franchises including Minecraft, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Fortnite gave the company a foothold in the market and a reputation for producing toys tied to the entertainment properties kids cared about. Growth through acquisition followed a similar logic. The company brought in Wicked Cool Toys in 2019, adding Pokémon to its licensing lineup, then acquired Kellytoy in 2020, which introduced Squishmallows.
The Squishmallows brand scaled faster than almost any toy product in recent memory. Ultrasoft plush figures with individual names, bios, and backstories found a massive audience on TikTok, with celebrity fans that included Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian. More than 100 million units moved in a single year. Judd Zebersky had acquired the brand through a deal structured to preserve Jazwares’ culture while adding a product line with genuine cultural momentum.
By the time of his departure, Jazwares had earned recognition from TIME, Fast Company, and Fortune. Zebersky personally received the South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs honor in 2024. Jazwares Cares, the philanthropic arm he launched at the company’s founding, had donated millions of toys to children’s hospitals, Title I schools, and nonprofits including Make-A-Wish and Toys for Tots. Read this article for additional 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