Spin Master was founded in 1994 by two childhood friends, Ronnen Harary and Anton Rabie, soon after graduation from The University of Western Ontario. Ben Varadi, a classmate of Anton’s from The University of Western Ontario’s Richard Ivey School of business, joined the Company subsequently in 1994. The nascent entrepreneurs’ first product was the Earth Buddy, a nylon stocking-covered head of sawdust topped with grass seeds which grew to emulate hair, funded with their own $10,000 investment. With Anton selling the item on the street and to specialty retailers, the operation quickly expanded to a small facility in downtown Toronto. This initial success served as the springboard for Spin Master’s entry into the toy business. Spin Master has achieved significant growth over the past two decades, transforming itself from a small, single product toy company into a leading global, diversified, multi-platform and highly innovative children’s entertainment company. The business has progressed through key stages, from start up growth, building the base, Bakugan growth, refocusing to diversified growth; operating now across all toy industry super categories.