Build-A-Bear: Maxine Clark. A Former Shoe Executive Launches a Stuffed Animal Empire

2026-06-15

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When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind. Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale.But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively successful shopping “experience,” where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals. Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand...

When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind.

Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale.

But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively successful shopping “experience,” where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals.

Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

How a failed errand—and an offhand comment by a kid–inspired a business plan

How Maxine leveraged two decades of retail experience to launch Build-a-Bear

How Willy Wonka and Walt Disney were early inspirations

How she built a wedge against competitors

How she got through the financial crisis

How she knew when to step down as CEO– and how to collaborate with her successor

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