Doug Bernstein

Doug Bernstein and Melissa Bernstein were introduced by their mothers, married at Temple Israel in Westport, Connecticut — the Reform congregation where all six of their children later became b'nei mitzvah — and left careers in advertising and investment banking to start a toy company in a basement and a garage in 1988. Three of their four parents were teachers. Melissa & Doug grew from the Fuzzy Farm textured wooden puzzle into a catalogue of wooden puzzles, arts and crafts and pretend-play sets built on one idea: simple play that leaves the imagining to the child. Spin Master bought the company in 2024.