Barbie play with paper dolls, and noticed that she often enjoyed giving them adult roles. At the time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, Handler suggested the idea of an adult-bodied doll to her husband Elliot, a co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He was unenthusiastic about the idea, as were Mattel's directors. During a trip to Europe in 1956 with her children Barbara and Kenneth, Ruth Handler came across a German toy doll called Bild Lilli. The adult-figured doll was exactly what Handler had in mind, so she
Brad Handler announced it had acquired nearly 2,000 club members. The company has also been active philanthropically, helping raise over $1.5 million, as of August 2012, for nonprofit organizations, schools and hospitals across the country by providing vacation homes for auction at fundraising events. In addition to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Handler is a lecturer at Stanford Law School and the University of Virginia School of Law. He is a board member of New Moon Girls magazine. He is also an active angel investor and is credited with numerous patents. Handler is a contributor to Forbes.com. Brad Handler Brad Handler (born July 19,