Ronnen Harary
Co-founder & Chair, Spin Master
This episode will premiere July 16, 2026 at 7:00pm ET
“You don’t know your capability until you start doing, and when you start doing, it unlocks so many magical things.”
Summary
We often assume that experience is what gives leaders the confidence to build something extraordinary. Ronnen Harary has spent much of his career arguing the opposite. What began as a $10,000 venture between three childhood friends became Spin Master, one of the world's leading children's entertainment companies because its founders approached every challenge with curiosity. They questioned assumptions, looked for opportunities others overlooked, and discovered that a willingness to learn could be more valuable than years of experience.
I wanted to have Ronnen on Leadership Matters to discuss the ideas behind his new book, No Experience Necessary, and the philosophy that has guided him throughout his career. Our conversation explores how curiosity can become a competitive advantage, why confidence often follows action rather than preceding it, and how leaders create organizations that continue to learn, adapt, and reinvent themselves amidst constant change.
Mentions & Resources in this Episode
Guest Bio
Born in South Africa and raised in Toronto, Ronnen Harary is the co-founder and chair of Spin Master, the global children’s entertainment company behind PAW Patrol, Bakugan, Hatchimals, Rubik’s Cube, and Melissa & Doug. Since cofounding the company in 1994, alongside childhood friend Anton Rabie and university classmate Ben Varadi, he has transformed a $10,000 startup into one of the world’s leading children’s entertainment companies into a foundation for innovation.
Beyond Spin Master, Ronnen founded the Toy Movement, a global initiative that has delivered hundreds of thousands of toys to children living in underserved communities around the world, and established the Ronnen Harary Foundation to support young people with learning disabilities and educational initiatives. He also serves as Chairman of the MEAD Foundation, which convenes policymakers and thought leaders from North America and the Middle East.
His first book, No Experience Necessary: Why Betting on Yourself in Your Twenties Is the Best Decision You’ll Ever Make, draws on the lessons of building Spin Master to make the case that curiosity and action are often the true foundations of leadership.