David Born, Founder of Born to License, joins The Licensing Book’s World Series of Licensing Q&A series to discuss tips for newbies, the AI changes on the horizon, and the importance of Care-a-Lot.
The Licensing Book (TLB): Born to License focuses on helping companies use licensing as a growth engine rather than a one-off product play. What do manufacturers and brand owners most often misunderstand when they first enter the licensing business?
David Born (DB): The biggest surprise for most companies new to licensing is the timeline. There’s a common assumption that we can pick up the phone to Disney or Mattel and have a deal locked in within days, and that licensed product will be on shelves within a couple of months. Of course, neither is true. Licensors are highly selective about who they partner with, and the product development and approvals process takes real time. Part of our job at Born to License is setting those expectations early and replacing impatience with a proper long-term strategy.
TLB: Your case studies span everything from character-driven collaborations to product categories looking for a new growth lever. What makes a company truly ready to license in, and what should they have in place before approaching rights holders?
DB: Licensing has to be a long-term vision, not a short-term experiment. Companies that jump in expecting quick wins almost always struggle. Licensing requires sustained planning, investment, and commitment. Beyond mindset, you need strong existing distribution. Licensors aren’t looking to prop up a struggling product; they want to amplify something that’s already working. And once that licensed product lands, you need the production capacity to meet the growth that follows. Licensing should add fuel to an existing fire, not try to start one from scratch.
TLB: Earlier this year, you mentioned on your podcast that one of your top trends to track in 2026 is AI in licensing; what movement have you seen in that space in the past few months?
DB: There’s plenty of speculation, but I haven’t seen a seismic shift in day-to-day licensing operations just yet, though I’m certain it’s coming. The area I’m watching most closely is product approvals. Right now, a standard approval can take around 10 working days. AI has the potential to compress that to seconds, which would be transformative for the whole industry. The bigger question is creativity: Can AI approach a product concept with the same intuition and imagination a human designer brings? That’s still unresolved, and I have my doubts. I’ll be exploring this further at Licensing Expo’s Networking Hub on Wednesday, May 20th. It’s one of the most important conversations our industry needs to be having right now.
TLB: You’ve been to some location-based experiences recently; LBE is a topic featured in the latest issue of The Toy Book. Why do you think these are gaining so much in popularity?
DB: In-person experiences are back in a serious way. Post-pandemic, people are actively looking for reasons to leave the house and connect with something, and licensing is delivering that beautifully. I recently visited the world’s first standalone SpongeBob SquarePants-themed restaurant in São Paulo, Brazil, and a Hello Kitty café. Both were exceptional. The SpongeBob experience genuinely felt like stepping into Bikini Bottom; the Hello Kitty café had a menu built around themed food — cookie balls with Hello Kitty bows, macarons shaped like My Melody and Cinnamoroll. The level of detail was remarkable. IP is now being licensed for escape rooms, dining concepts, immersive games, and beyond. It’s a significant and growing segment of the business.
TLB: Word on the street is that you’re a big Care Bears fan. What is it about Care Bears that makes the property so special?
DB: On the day I was born, my grandmother gave me a Care Bears plush — Care Bear Cousin Swiftheart Rabbit. It went everywhere with me. Nearly 20 years later, when I found my way into licensing, the penny finally dropped: I’d been living with a licensed product my whole life without ever realizing it. Care Bears taught me something fundamental about this industry: the extraordinary power of nostalgia. The brands that captured hearts in the ’80s and ’90s are having a genuine resurgence, because their biggest fans are now adults with spending power and a desire to express who they are. What’s more, the Care Bears team embodies that spirit brilliantly. They’re always open to new opportunities and willing to try something unexpected. A great example is the partnership our Born Licensing team facilitated with King, which saw Care Bears take over Candy Crush Solitaire for a month. Fun, fresh, and very on-brand!
Visit Born to License at Booth No. T236 at Licensing Expo 2026.
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This Q&A is a digital companion to The Toy Book‘s 2026 Licensing & Entertainment Issue, featuring The Licensing Book. Read the full issue here!
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