Husband and wife alums run Squishable.com, a stuffed animal startup

When Zoe Fraade-Blanar, Engr '02, and Aaron Glazer, A&S '02 (BA/MA), told their friends they'd started a business selling giant, round stuffed animals, they were met with looks of bewilderment—followed by a chorus of, "Can I have one?" Founded in 2007, Squishable offers hundreds of unconventional plush toys, from cinnamon buns to three-headed dogs, in its online store. Fans on social networks help Squishable develop new products; many submit designs online, and the company later brings those ideas to life. The company's founders link much of their success to this open-source platform—dubbed Project Open Squish—that allows users to play a role in generating ideas.

Read the Q&A in the latest issue of Johns Hopkins Magazine.