Eric Siegel

Eric Siegel is the creator of Tree Hopper Toys, a tiny and local company who handcrafts a line of wooden toys that curious kids love. He knows kids work hard and explore everything—their creativity, environment, senses and strength—for them, toys are the tools of the trade. With that in mind, he designs safe toys that work alongside a child's creativity and imagination.

His company started as a hobby 2 years ago in his garage and it's grown into a full-time operation with a shop, employees and too many orders to count. Him and a handful of people design, cut, screenprint, and package their toys in a small shop on the outskirts of Chicago. You may have seen his wooden toys in shops around town like Haymaker, Lillstreet or the MCA. They're currently being sold online and in retail stores covering 29 states and 4 countries. His toys have been featured on ABC7, Daily Candy and Inhabitat, among others.