New Jersey has long been recognized as a leader in industries that directly influence the health, safety, and well-being of families. While the state is often associated with pharmaceuticals, healthcare, logistics, and advanced manufacturing, it also serves as the home to organizations whose work quietly shapes consumer safety standards across North America. One of the most influential of those organizations is the Baby Safety Alliance, headquartered in Mount Laurel, and its latest leadership announcement further reinforces New Jersey’s growing role in the future of juvenile product safety.
The Baby Safety Alliance has announced the election of Judah Bergman, founder and president of Jool Baby, to its Board of Directors. The appointment reflects both the continued growth of Jool Baby as one of the industry’s emerging innovators and the Alliance’s ongoing commitment to bringing experienced leaders together to help guide one of the most important consumer product sectors in the marketplace.
Formerly known as the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the Baby Safety Alliance represents approximately 95 percent of all prenatal-to-preschool products sold throughout North America. Few trade organizations possess that level of industry representation, making the Alliance one of the most influential voices in the development of product safety standards, consumer education, legislative advocacy, and industry collaboration. Its work extends well beyond manufacturers themselves, reaching retailers, healthcare providers, engineers, product designers, testing laboratories, legislators, regulators, and ultimately millions of parents who rely on safe products every day.
The organization’s headquarters in Mount Laurel places New Jersey at the center of many of the conversations shaping the future of juvenile products. From independent testing protocols to educational initiatives and public policy recommendations, many of the standards that families encounter when purchasing cribs, bassinets, strollers, high chairs, safety gates, swings, play yards, feeding equipment, and nursery accessories originate through collaborative efforts involving the Alliance and its membership.
At the heart of the organization are four strategic pillars that collectively define its mission. Product safety remains its primary responsibility through the Baby Safety Alliance Verification Program, one of the industry’s most recognized independent testing and certification systems. Thousands of products representing more than thirty nursery and juvenile product categories undergo evaluation each year to help ensure compliance with rigorous safety requirements before reaching consumers.
Advocacy represents another significant aspect of the Alliance’s work. The organization regularly works with policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels to promote legislation that strengthens product safety while maintaining reasonable access and affordability for families. As regulations continue evolving alongside new technologies and manufacturing practices, the Alliance serves as an important bridge between industry expertise and public policy.
Education has become equally essential. Through Baby Safety University, parents, grandparents, caregivers, childcare providers, and healthcare professionals receive guidance on selecting, installing, maintaining, and properly using children’s products. As product offerings become increasingly sophisticated and technology continues transforming everything from infant monitoring systems to travel equipment, consumer education has become just as important as product engineering itself.
Complementing these initiatives is the Baby Safety Foundation, the organization’s philanthropic arm dedicated to expanding access to safe juvenile products while helping reduce preventable childhood injuries through outreach, charitable partnerships, and educational programming. Together, these four pillars demonstrate that the Alliance’s mission extends well beyond product certification into every stage of family safety and child development.
The organization’s leadership structure reflects the breadth of the industry it represents. President Michael Dwyer and Executive Director Lisa Trofe oversee day-to-day operations while working closely with a Board of Directors composed of senior executives representing many of the world’s most recognizable juvenile product companies. Board Chair Walter Lehneis of HALO Dream, Vice Chair Mark Zehfuss of Larktale, Treasurer Vartan Chldrian of Munchkin, and executives representing companies including Amazon, Britax, Evenflo, Baby Trend, Dorel Juvenile Group, Mockingbird, and Graco/Newell Brands collectively help establish the Alliance’s long-term priorities, strategic direction, governance, and educational initiatives.
The addition of Judah Bergman further strengthens that leadership team. Since founding Jool Baby, Bergman has helped build the company into a rapidly expanding brand recognized for combining affordability, practical innovation, and safety-focused design across a broad range of baby and childcare products. The company’s philosophy has consistently centered on making everyday parenting easier without compromising quality or safety, a mission that closely aligns with the broader objectives of the Baby Safety Alliance.
His appointment comes during a period when consumer expectations surrounding juvenile products continue to evolve. Parents today have access to an unprecedented number of choices across virtually every product category, but they also face an increasingly complex marketplace where safety certifications, engineering standards, recalls, and independent testing all play critical roles in purchasing decisions. Organizations like the Baby Safety Alliance help bring consistency and transparency to that process by establishing industry benchmarks while encouraging manufacturers to continually improve product design and performance.
For New Jersey, the significance extends well beyond one executive appointment. The Garden State continues to serve as home to organizations that influence national policy, consumer education, manufacturing standards, and public safety across numerous industries. The Baby Safety Alliance represents another example of New Jersey’s quiet but substantial leadership in areas that affect millions of families every day.
The election of Judah Bergman to the Alliance’s Board of Directors also reflects the industry’s continued emphasis on collaboration. Manufacturers, engineers, retailers, safety advocates, legislators, educators, and healthcare professionals increasingly recognize that protecting children requires cooperation rather than competition. Product innovation, independent testing, consumer education, and thoughtful regulation work most effectively when experienced leaders contribute diverse perspectives toward common goals.
As the juvenile products industry continues introducing smarter technologies, enhanced materials, connected devices, and increasingly sophisticated safety features, organizations like the Baby Safety Alliance will remain central to ensuring innovation never outpaces consumer protection. With its headquarters firmly rooted in New Jersey and leadership drawn from many of the industry’s most respected companies, the Alliance continues helping establish the standards that shape one of North America’s most important consumer markets.
Judah Bergman’s appointment represents both a personal achievement and another reminder of New Jersey’s continuing influence within an industry devoted to protecting children. It also reinforces the state’s position as a center for organizations whose work extends far beyond its borders, improving product safety, strengthening consumer confidence, and helping families make better-informed decisions for generations to come.
