Obituary: Jake Sivner (ZURU, YWOW, JAS Ultimate Solutions)

Sivner entered the industry in 2018 as a sales and marketing intern at ZURU Toys in Hong Kong where he quickly moved into sales and account management positions for the Asia Pacific and EMEA regions. He later joined YWOW Brands as sales director before relocating to Los Angeles to start his own company.

Jake Sivner | Source: Marc Sivner

The global toy industry is mourning the loss of Jake Sivner. The young executive died last month at the age of 22.

JAS Ultimate Solutions (JAS = Jake Alexander Sivner) opened in April 2021 as a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in launching toy brands within the North American market.

In recent days, family and friends have shared remembrances and condolences across LinkedIn and Facebook amid the news of Sivner’s passing. A virtual funeral service was held on March 24.

The Toy Book wishes to extend its condolences to Sivner’s family and friends.

About the author

James Zahn

James Zahn, AKA The Rock Father, is Editor-in-Chief of The Toy Book, a Senior Editor at The Toy Insider and The Pop Insider, and Editor of The Toy Report, The Toy Book‘s weekly industry newsletter. As a pop culture and toy industry expert, Zahn has appeared as a panelist and guest at events including Comic-Con International: San Diego (SDCC) Wizard World Chicago, and the ASTRA Marketplace & Academy. Zahn has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries, and is frequently called upon to offer expert commentary for publications such as Forbes, Marketwatch, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, the Washington Post, and more. James has appeared on History Channel’s Modern Marvels, was interviewed by Larry King and Anderson Cooper, and has been seen on Yahoo! Finance, CNN, CNBC, FOX Business, NBC, ABC, CBS, WGN, The CW, and more. Zahn joined the Adventure Media & Events family in 2016, initially serving as a member of the Parent Advisory Board after penning articles for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, PBS KIDS, Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids), PopSugar, and Chicago Parent. He eventually joined the company full time as a Senior Editor and moved up the ranks to Deputy Editor and Editor-in-Chief.