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