When Judd Zebersky founded Jazwares, he built charitable giving into the company’s structure from the start. Jazwares Cares, established at the company’s founding, has donated millions of toys over the years and maintains active partnerships with children’s hospitals, Title I schools, and nonprofits including Make-A-Wish, Toys for Tots, and Ronald McDonald House.
The organizational commitment to giving back reflected personal values that Judd Zebersky carried beyond the workplace. He and his family contributed $2 million to Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and have been significant supporters of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. For a company that sells toys to children around the world, the philanthropic footprint was never treated as an afterthought.
Recognition Beyond the Toy Aisle
That combination of business scale and community investment drew attention from major publications. Jazwares appeared on TIME’s Most Influential Companies list and earned recognition from Fast Company as one of its Best Workplaces for Innovators. Fortune named the company among its Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production.
Judd Zebersky himself collected individual recognition alongside the company’s awards. The South Florida Business Journal recognized him with its Ultimate CEOs honor in 2024, and The Business Report placed him on its Top 50 Entrepreneurs list in 2023. These acknowledgments came as Jazwares was managing one of the fastest-growing toy brands in the world Squishmallows which sold more than 100 million units in a single year after going viral on TikTok.
Zebersky stepped down as CEO on March 20, 2026. David Neustein took over the role on March 23, 2026, inheriting a company with products distributed across more than 100 countries and a workforce of approximately 1,400 people. The philanthropic infrastructure that Judd Zebersky built into Jazwares remains part of the company’s operating identity. See related link for more information.
More about Judd Zebersky on: https://toyworldmag.co.uk/jazwares-announces-departure-of-senior-leadership/