The Licensing Exchange

David Born, founder and CEO of Born Licensing, Born to License, and Learn to License, joins hosts David Schnider and Greg Pan on The Licensing Exchange.

David traces his path from reading the news on a premium phone line in Australia to Haven Licensing, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network in London, and explains why he built a business around licensing characters and IP for ad campaigns. He shares the story behind the viral He-Man and Skeletor campaign for MoneySuperMarket, why agencies should bring licensing experts in before the script is sold to the client, and how a brief for Direct Line became campaigns featuring Donatello, Bumblebee, and RoboCop.

The conversation also covers:

• How Born to License helps manufacturers secure consumer products licenses
• Why Learn to License was created for businesses not yet ready to license
• Why nostalgia keeps winning in advertising
• What industry consolidation could mean for licensor teams, neglected IP, and smaller licensors
• Fragmented fandoms, niche IP, and what Comic-Con cosplay reveals about the pop culture zeitgeist

Connect with David Born:
thedavidborn.com
bornlicensing.com
borntolicense.com
Born to License podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Learn more about Nolan Heimann: nolanheimann.com

Ted Larkins, Senior Vice President of Global Licensing at Octane 5, joins David Schnider and Greg Pan to trace his three-decade journey in licensing—from an accidental introduction to James Dean merchandise in 1989 to overseeing brands like Teletubbies, Space Invaders, and Mega Man.

In this episode, we cover:

• The Origin Story: How a bartender in Osaka went from moving James Dean t-shirts to representing Paramount, Sony, MGM, and DreamWorks across Asia for 30 years
• The Anime Wave: Why younger demographics are gravitating toward anime properties, and how Japanese brands are redefining the US licensing landscape
• Comic Con Evolution: Observations from San Diego Comic Con on how collectible culture, exclusive product drops, and secondary markets are reshaping fan events
• Octane 5's Platform: A deep dive into how licensing software is consolidating data, approvals, assets, and royalties—and when a licensor should make the switch (spoiler: around 10–15 licensees)
• AI & the Human Element: Why data and AI tools enhance relationships rather than replace them—and why Ted's convinced negotiation and face-to-face deals will never disappear
• The "Get To" Mindset: Ted's philosophy on shifting from victim language ("I have to") to gratitude ("I get to")—and how a moment with his son changed his entire approach to work and life. He shares principles from his award-winning book Get to Be Happy.

Guest:
Marty Malysz | President & Founder, Dependable Solutions
Website: https://dependablesolutions.com

Topics Covered:

• How Marty transitioned from music licensing to brand and consumer product licensing
• Why compliance software becomes essential at scale (and when "size matters")
• Industries driving the most licensing value: gaming, sports, fashion, food, automotive
• AI's role in licensing compliance: translation, enforcement, and limitations
• The importance of internships and mentorship programs in licensing
• Experiential entertainment's role in the licensing ecosystem (Feld Entertainment, Monster Jam, Jurassic Park Live)
• Content consolidation and original IP strategies

Relevant Links:

• Dependable Solutions: https://dependablesolutions.com
• Licensing International: https://www.licensing.org
• Feld Entertainment: https://www.feldentertainment.com
• Nolan Heimann LLP: https://nolanheimann.com
• David Schnider: https://nolanheimann.com/team/david-schnider
• Gregory Pan: https://nolanheimann.com/team/gregory-pan
• Brand Licensing, Identity & Innovation Practice: https://nolanheimann.com/practices/brand-licensing-identity-innovation

The licensing industry is evolving faster than ever. From artificial intelligence and global brand expansion to experiential retail and emerging intellectual property, today's licensing professionals are navigating an entirely new landscape.

In Episode 10 of The Licensing Exchange, hosts David Schnider and Greg Pan welcome Maura Regan, President of Licensing International, for a wide-ranging conversation about the forces shaping the future of licensing worldwide.

Together they discuss:

• How Licensing International supports the global licensing community

• The biggest trends transforming brand licensing today

• The growing impact of AI on intellectual property and licensing

• Global opportunities for licensors and licensees

• Why education and networking remain critical to success

• The rise of experiential licensing and consumer engagement

• The importance of protecting brands while embracing innovation

• Advice for professionals entering the licensing industry

Whether you're an established licensing executive, an emerging brand owner, or simply interested in how intellectual property drives business growth, this episode offers valuable insights into where licensing is headed next.

Veronica Hart brings more than two decades of leadership experience in entertainment, licensing, brand strategy, and franchise development to her role at RWS Global, where she leads the company's worldwide growth strategy across live entertainment, immersive experiences, sports, and destination design. In this episode, David and Greg dive deep into her unique career journey—from Sunbow Entertainment to the Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop, HIT Entertainment, CBS, and Paramount—and explore how her background in consumer products and global franchise planning informs her approach to experiential design today.

Veronica discusses the evolution of location-based entertainment as a distinct business model from traditional licensing, explaining why IP holders are increasingly investing in these projects for greater creative control and return on investment. She breaks down the critical differences between designing a merchandise program and designing an immersive experience, and why narrative storytelling must be at the heart of every project.

The conversation covers RWS Global's portfolio—from designing world-class attractions like Ferrari World and working with Merlin Entertainments on Legoland parks, to producing live entertainment for hospitality venues, international sports competitions (including the Paris Olympics and Cricket T20 World Cup), and branded merchandise. Veronica emphasizes the importance of authenticity, knowing your audience, and executing a comprehensive creative vision rather than treating experiences as afterthoughts.

Key topics include: the role of technology in immersive experiences (and the risks of being too cutting-edge too early), global expansion strategies and cultural adaptation, funding challenges and the pilot-to-scale model, the emerging mid-range experience market, and the untapped potential of merchandise as an integral part of the guest experience—not just a gift shop transaction.

Veronica also touches on the Friends experience, John Wick experience, Netflix House, the Bronx Zoo's Daniel Tiger exhibit, and the future of immersive entertainment in retail and hospitality spaces worldwide.

In this episode of The Licensing Exchange, hosts David Schnider and Greg Pan sit down with Rosalind Nowicki, Global Head of Consumer Products at Miraculous, for a wide-ranging conversation about building, refreshing, and protecting iconic brands across decades of industry change.

Rosalind traces her path from junior apparel buyer to a career across some of the most recognizable studios and brands in the world — Disney, Universal Studios, 4Kids Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Peanuts Worldwide, and Mattel — and now to Miraculous, where she's leading consumer products strategy for the global ladybug-superhero phenomenon as it enters its second decade.

The conversation digs into:

• How Rosalind fell into licensing at Disney during the Little Mermaid era and what that "entrepreneurial" early environment taught her
• Why heritage brands like Peanuts and Barbie are "killing it" in today's market — and what it takes to keep them relevant
• The art of the collaboration: Levi's, Vans, and Marc Jacobs partnerships at Peanuts, and why the best collabs make both brands win
• Her Dick Tracy / Breathless Mahoney evening gown collection at Disney — and why thinking outside t-shirts and hats has shaped her entire approach since
• How Miraculous is leveraging gaming (nearly a billion plays on Roblox), social listening, and location-based experiences to build the brand
• The marketing-vs-revenue tension in collaborations and how to make the case internally
• What she looks for in licensees: distribution, passion, creativity, and homework done
• Quality vs. quantity in licensing portfolios — and why "you've got to have the fluff to sell the stuff"
• Retail compression, the disappearance of regional retailers, and how kids growing up faster has reshaped the toy aisle
• Why data has caught up to relationships in the modern licensing business
• Her Licensing Expo strategy: pre-show virtual summits, NDAs, and freeing up booth time for real conversation

Whether you're a brand owner, licensee, or simply a fan of the business behind the products you grew up with, this episode offers a rare look at how strategy, creativity, and relationships intersect at the highest levels of consumer products licensing.

The Licensing Exchange is part of The LOOK Legal Pods from Nolan Heimann LLP, lawyers for creative business makers. Learn more at nolanheimann.com.

David Schnider and Greg Pan sit down with Jennifer Staley, Vice President of Licensing at BioWorld — a company that started as a small music accessories headwear business 25 years ago and has grown into a global branded merchandise manufacturer and distribution platform operating across 20 product categories in 13 countries.

Jen traces BioWorld's evolution from its early days licensing bands like Slipknot and Limp Bizkit, through a series of strategic acquisitions — including Vandor, Packed Party, and Character World Brands — and shares how the company uses e-commerce and its Heroes and Villains direct-to-consumer site as an R&D testing ground before approaching retail buyers.

She also discusses BioWorld Ventures, the company's investment arm supporting the next generation of content creators and consumer brands; the surprising rise of Labubu and the blind box model; growing opportunity in the sports licensing category; and why strong relationships remain the backbone of the industry — even as data increasingly drives decisions.

Jeremy Padawer, President of Jazwares, shares his journey from Mattel to founding Wicked Cool Toys to leading one of the industry's biggest players. Jeremy discusses his million-dollar Pokémon collection, why he just spent $275K on graded manga, the Logan Paul Pikachu Illustrator card story, getting retailers to take risks on new properties, why kidults are now the #1 toy segment, and his prediction that manga will become the next Superman and Batman.

Guest: Jeremy Padawer, President of Jazwares Hosts: David Schnider & Greg Pan, Attorneys at Nolan Heimann LLP

In this episode of The Licensing Exchange, hosts David Schnider and Greg Pan sit down with Ari Zebersky and Dylan Karofsky, co-founders of Negosh, a technology platform built to modernize how licensing deals are discovered, negotiated, and closed.

Drawing on deep roots in the toy and licensing industries, Ari and Dylan share why licensing has long operated like dial-up internet—and how Negosh aims to bring it into the smartphone era. The conversation explores how transparency around territories, categories, and availability can dramatically reduce time-to-deal, why emerging licensees often struggle to find the right IP, and how tools like real-time deal memos, integrated negotiation, and AI-driven guidance can remove friction from the process.

The episode also dives into the role of AI in licensing—both as an operational efficiency tool and as a looming frontier for IP monetization—along with trends around creator-driven IP, UGC platforms, social-first fandoms, and the increasing importance of speed in a trend-driven marketplace.

A must-listen for licensors, licensees, and anyone navigating the future of brand partnerships, fandom-first IP, and modern licensing infrastructure.

In this episode of The Licensing Exchange, hosts David Schnider and Greg Pan sit down with licensing and consumer-products veterans Derrick Baca and Liz DeSilva to unpack what separates forgettable “logo slap” merchandise from products fans genuinely collect.

Derrick shares his path from retail buying into leading licensing strategy, while Liz explains how deep fandom knowledge and creative risk-taking helped transform accessories into must-have collectibles during the growth of Loungefly.

Together, they explore:

• how fandom insight drives product demand
• why fringe and under-merchandised IP can outperform expected blockbusters
• how teams earn trust to go beyond studio style guides
• the creative and operational realities of working with mom-and-pop retailers
• why limited drops and community engagement matter more than logos
• what they’re building now at The Whatever Company, including the brand “Whatever Makes You Happy”

This episode is a practical and candid look at modern licensing strategy for anyone working in consumer products, retail, or brand partnerships.