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Build-A-Business by Sharon Shinn M axine Clark sells teddy bears for a living. Her for- mal title is Chief Executive Bear. One of the items on her desk is a small stuffed bear dressed in pink pajamas. But despite her whimsy, she is every inch a businesswoman, closely focused on what sells in the market she has helped define. Before her 1997 launch of Build-A-Bear Workshop in St. Louis, Missouri, Clark spent 19 years with The May Department Stores in a variety of roles. She became president of its Payless ShoeSource division in 1992, and after four years she left to look for a new challenge. A shopping expedition with a ten-year-old friend led her to envision the make-your-own- stuffed animal factory that became Build-A-Bear Workshop. The company has grown rapidly since opening its first store. Today, there are more than 400 Build-A-Bear Workshop stores in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa— some owned by the company, some run as franchisees. Build- A-Bear Workshop also has expanded its reach through innova- tive partnerships with organizations like Major League Baseball, where fans can buy team-branded merchandise at stadiums across the U.S. and build their own mascots at selected ballparks. 20 At Build-A-Bear Workshop, Maxine Clark combined her business savvy and her sense of play to manufacture a unique retail experience. Basics BizEd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010