Licensing International, a global brand licensing industry trade association, has revealed this year’s inductees into its Hall of Fame.
This year’s inductees include Joseph Kaminkow, Chief Innovation Officer at Pixie Dust, Aristocrat; Maca Rotter, President & CEO of La Panadería Licensing & Marketing; and Stu Seltzer, President of The Seltzer Licensing Group.
Kaiminkow began his career by starting a game development company, Logical Highs, which led to securing licensing rights from NASA for Williams Electronics’ hit game Space Shuttle. He ventured into pinball games with Data East Pinball, securing licenses such as The Simpsons, Star Wars, and Star Trek, and created a Wizard of Oz city builder acquired by Zynga before joining Aristocrat Technologies.
Rotter has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, branding, and licensing. Rotter authored the first and only Spanish-language book about consumer product structure and business models, founded the Licensing Association chapter in Mexico, and is the first Latin woman on Licensing International’s Board of Directors.
For more than 25 years, Stu Seltzer has led Seltzer Licensing Group, securing partnerships with brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, the DC Comics division at Warner Bros, Unilever, Scotts Miracle-Gro, and the American Red Cross. Seltzer is also an NYU professor with more than 20 years of experience teaching brand licensing to undergraduate students.
There is so much to celebrate at this year’s Hall of Fame and Rising Star Awards. We are honoring three licensing veterans who have contributed so much to our industry and also to our community. Their decades of innovation and creativity have helped to push the business forward, and I can’t wait to see what Joe, Maca, and Stu do next.
The event will be held alongside a fundraiser for the Licensing International Foundation scholarship program to support the next generation of licensing professionals. Since 2020, the program has raised more than $500,000 and awarded 31 scholarships, underscoring Licensing International’s aim to foster growth and innovation in the industry.
“This event is also an opportunity to shine a spotlight on gifted newcomers,” says Veronica Hart, Industry Executive, Incoming Chair for Licensing International, and Co-Chair of the Committee responsible for Licensing International’s Hall of Fame. “It’s crucial for the global brand licensing industry to connect with and support the next generation of licensing executives.”
The Hall of Fame and Rising Star Awards will be held in New York City on December 4th at Gotham Hall. Stay tuned for the award recipients later this year.
