Elliot Handler daughter, Barbara, who was the namesake of Barbie dolls; and a son, Kenneth (who died of a brain tumor in 1994) who was the namesake of Ken dolls. While a struggling art student and designer of light fixtures, Handler partnered with Harold Matson to design a realistic-looking miniature piano that received roughly 300,000 orders; however, they mispriced the product and lost a dime on each one produced. Mattel received its name from business partners Harold Matt Matson and Elliot Handler in 1945. Elliot's wife, Ruth, took Matson's role when the Handlers bought his share in the late 1940's. Ruth Handler
Brent Handler Brad Handler, Martin Pucher and Brian Corbett, Brent Handler re-entered the destination club marketplace with the launch of the Denver-based destination club Inspirato. Brent Handler currently serves as the company’s CEO. In a departure from the traditional destination club model, Inspirato rents rather than owns its homes, reducing the club’s upfront costs and allowing for lower membership fees. Handler’s innovative business model and past success in the destination club space led to significant interest from the venture capital community. The company raised $65 million from some of the world’s top venture capital firms, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and