Funko CEO Cynthia Williams, for the Wall Street Journal
June 19, 2025

Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here with giant Marvel characters in Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.

I spent a quick afternoon in May at Funko headquarters in Everett, Washington, with CEO Cynthia Williams, who’s been at the company’s helm for about a year after serving as president of Wizards of the Coast, where she oversaw Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. Funko, of course, is the manufacturer of Funko Pop! figurines, large-headed cartoony toys in the shapes of characters from just about every entertainment franchise and the worlds of music and sports. A big thanks to Jenny for the call!

Holding a Funko Pop! figure bearing her likeness as the Marvel character Wolverine, Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here in her office in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here by a fake movie theater storefront reading "Welcome to Funko HQ!" in Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Customized Funko Pop! vinyl figures made for Kaiser Permanente employees are seen on a workbench in the Pop Factory section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. The Pop Factory allows people to make one-of-a-kind figurines using Funko's Pop Yourself program. The company's figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here in the anime section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Tommy Sewell boxes up custom Funko Pop! in the Pop Factory section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. Sewell has worked at the store for about four years. "I've been a collector of Funko products since 2016," he said. The Pop Factory allows people to make one-of-a-kind figurines using Funko's Pop Yourself program. The company's figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here in her office in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
Jose Ochoa, visiting from southern California, looks at Funko Pop! vinyl figures for sale at Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. The company's figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime. "I just wanted to check it out," Ochoa said about visiting the store, "I saw Thundercats from my childhood."
Sani Burgess, of Everett, boxes up custom Funko Pop! in the Pop Factory section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. The Pop Factory allows people to make one-of-a-kind figurines using Funko's Pop Yourself program. The company's figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime.
Yosif El-Tahel looks at Funko Pop! vinyl figure of Muhammed Ali in Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025. The company's figurines depict a wide variety of pop culture characters and figures including people in sports and entertainment and fictional characters from movies, television, comics, and anime. "These are legends," Yosif El-Tahel said to Jordan while pointing out various sports figures. "We just walked in because we've never been here...It's dangerous to walk in here," he said about how much money he could spend buying Funko Pop! figures.
Cynthia Williams is the CEO of Funko, manufacturer of fandom-related merchandise including their well-known Funko Pop! vinyl figures, seen here arranging Funko Pop! boxes in the anime section of Funko's store at the company's headquarters in Everett, Washington, USA, on Thu., May 15, 2025.
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