OPENING DOORS. CLOSING DEALS.
The Brand Liaison
What is The Brand Liaison?
The Brand Liaison is a top-tier licensing and brand management agency focused on creating new revenue streams for our clients through licensing, strategic partnerships and other brand extension opportunities.
For licensors, our goal is to commercialize opportunities that will extend our clients’ brand equity into new product categories to maximize their licensing potential.
For licensees, we assist manufacturers in acquiring brands and developing strong licensing programs in order to create long term licensing and retail success.
Representing both licensors and licensees, our team of seasoned “liaisons” has extensive experience in developing successful brand extension and licensing programs. Our collective experience includes activities with numerous high profile brands including lifestyle apparel brands such as Lacoste, Mudd Jeans, Nautica, Playboy, Liz Claiborne, Geoffrey Beene, Gloria Vanderbilt, Laura Ashley, JEEP, Converse and Skechers, entertainment giants such as Disney, Warner Bros., and New Line Cinema, and sports licensing with the NFL, NBA, NCAA, FIFA World Cup, and many more.
We have also worked with major retailers such as Macy’s, Target, Walmart, TJX Group, Hot Topic, Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, Rooms To Go, Jo-Ann’s, David’s Bridal, HSN, QVC and many others.
We use our extensive network and relationships to build strong partnerships among brand owners, manufacturers and key retailers. By creating mutually beneficial relationships among all of the participants in the brand extension process, we are able to create innovative licensing and retail programs that bring long term value to our clients.
Our Team
With over 200 years of combined experience, The Brand Liaison team is one of the industry’s most diverse and talented.
Click on the names to the left to view more information about each of our team members.
Steven W. Heller, Esq.
“The Professor”
With degrees in both law and accounting, and 30 years in licensing and business development, Steven combined his vision, experience and strong industry contacts to create The Brand Liaison and currently sits on the Board of Directors of Licensing International, the leading trade organization for the Licensing Industry. Since its formation in 2011, The Brand Liaison has quickly gained prominence as one of the licensing industry’s leading boutique agencies, with a stellar reputation and strong management team. The Brand Liaison staff is among the most diverse in the industry with experts across a broad range of product classifications.
Throughout his 30 year career, Steven has been active in all aspects of intellectual property, including the worldwide licensing and enforcement of various world famous properties, representing licensors and licensees in deals involving fashion brands such as Gloria Vanderbilt, Nautica, Gitano, and Oleg Cassini, properties owned by Disney, MGM, Warner Brothers, the NFL, NBA, NCAA, and FIFA. As part of these licensing programs and brand extension strategies, he has also worked with major retailers such as Macy’s, Target, Walmart, Hot Topic, Jo-Ann’s, David’s Bridal, and many others.
In addition to his strong negotiation skills and ability to craft business deals advantageous to all parties, Steven is able to utilize his creative and entrepreneurial skills to provide guidance in brand development and product development. “Based on our deep rolodex and our collective experience with thousands of companies, we are able to quickly identify our clients’ core competencies, as well as their business needs. We are then able to create successful business relationships by matching our clients’ needs, with companies that specialize in that area.”
Also known as “The Professor,” Steven is a renowned public speaker and a professor of business and law at both the graduate and undergraduate level. He has conducted seminars and lectures on business and law topics such as trademarks and licensing, franchising and international business. He is an author and presenter of seminars on “Trademarks, Patents and Copyrights” and “How to Use Licensing and Franchising as a Means of Business Expansion.” Heller was welcomed as a Board Member of Licensing International in 2021 (article).
Steven graduated cum laude in the top 5% of his class at Fordham Law School, 1991 and graduated SUNY Albany in 1987, with dual major in Accounting and Business Administration. He is a licensed attorney and member of bar in the state of New York.
Karen Diamond
“Executive Producer”
Karen Diamond is a Wall Street Journal featured licensing specialist with close to 30 years experience in the licensing industry. Karen has a reputation for developing and executing highly focused, goal oriented licensing strategies individually tailored to each client. For seven years, Karen was a co-founder of Synergy Licensing, a leading boutique licensing agency since 2008.
In 1995, Karen formed Karen Diamond & Associates (KDA), representing The Pillsbury Company for strategic planning, management, and implementation of the licensing program including the Pillsbury brand and logo, the ever popular Doughboy character, Green Giant, Little Sprout and the Old El Paso trademarks. Under Karen’s direction, the Pillsbury licensing program grew from 4 initial licensees to over 45 companies. With more than 500 licensed products in the marketplace, the licensing industry still considers the Pillsbury program a model for successful corporate programs, having been nominated for several industry excellence awards including winning the coveted, “Licensee of the Year” award by its kitchen textile licensee for its superior execution and distribution of the Pillsbury product line and Lechter’s nomination for the LIMA “Retailer of the Year” for its comprehensive integrative Pillsbury promotion.
Prior to forming KDA, Karen worked for companies including Warner Bros. Consumer Products (Looney Tunes, Batman, Superman, Pillsbury, Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop, Baskin Robbins, 7UP, etc.), Liz Claiborne and Cole Haan. At WBCP, Karen was profiled by the industry publication, Home Furnishings Daily (HFD, now HFN), with a cover story featuring her innovative and ground breaking Looney Tunes licensing program. Having worked directly for Liz herself, at Liz Claiborne, Karen developed a keen aesthetic for fashion and an impeccable eye for detail.
With such a strong, diverse licensing background, Karen understands the nuances of both protecting and enhancing brand imagery through effective and cohesive licensing. She is an excellent communicator who has the expertise and proven track record to create and develop successful licensing programs.
Laurie Smith
“Smartest Bunny Ever”
Laurie Smith is a seasoned strategic licensing and marketing leader with rich, global experience across multiple business sectors and product arenas.
She is a well-organized, results-oriented straight shooter who tackles every project with passion and conviction. It’s her hands-on experience that lays the foundation for her ability to develop winning strategies for her clients that deliver exceptional results. Her background includes a steady stream of professional successes in kids, sports and adult media and entertainment industries with iconic brands such as Nickelodeon, Major League Baseball and Playboy. She was the pivotal player in the repositioning and rebuild of the Playboy Global Licensing Program into an approximately $1B retail business. Laurie also solicited, negotiated and secured one of Playboy’s biggest and most successful licenses.
Laurie graduated Cum Laude from the College of the Holy Cross and resides in Long Island.
Cory Waisner
“Chief Entertainment Officer”
Cory Waisner brings to us his expertise in marketing, licensing and sales including 25 years in the fashion industry.
Being one of the co-founders of Global Design Concepts Inc., a leading accessories company out of NY the last 17+ years, has taught Cory the complexities of both character and brand licensing. Cory was directly responsible for both licensed and private label product development including concepts and presentations to licensors and retailers in market segments such as Accessories, Fashion, Home, Sport, Pet and HBA. In addition to development and product placement, Cory also worked closely with his offices overseas in China in sourcing new products, designs and unique fabrications. Cory played an instrumental role in taking the company from startup to just shy of $100 million dollars in under 9 years and also earning the coveted Disney licensee of the year.
Cory’s licensing activities include works with brands such as Disney, Warner Bros., Vans, Bill A Bong, Old Navy, Dry Bar, Skechers, and Ironman Competitions, across multiple product categories, which has helped him earn a reputation for properly tailoring licensing programs to the specific needs of a wide array of clients.
At The Brand Liaison, Cory manages in bound licensing acquisitions for several clients and assists in securing new and different avenues for successful licensing programs both for manufacturers as well as brand owners.
His personality is larger than life leading to his title as CEO — “Chief Entertainment Officer”.
Cory is a graduate of SUNY Albany with a background in psychology and business.
Katey Gabrielson
“Super Connector”
Katey Gabrielson is an accomplished licensing executive who has held key positions related to branding, licensing and business development, from both the perspective of licensing agent and brand owner at some of the world’s most recognized and beloved brands.
With a work pedigree based on multimillion dollar consumer goods sales, Katey has shown an innate ability to successful license brands across various industries and retail placement, including specialties in apparel, accessories, footwear, and toys. She played a key role in the expansion of the Ty Beanie Babies Brand in the mid to late 1990s and later as Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Toy Island, a division of Li & Fung USA, where she was recognized for her creative and energetic leadership. Prior to joining The Brand Liaison, Katey held senior management positions at Compass and Prominent Global.
Over the past 20+ years, Katey’s experience has included licensing and brand development with companies and brands such as Fox, Warner Bros., Sanrio, Children’s Television Workshop, Disney, Nickelodeon, Coca-Cola, Hershey’s, Skecher’s, EA Sports, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Harley Davidson, Elvis Presley Entertainment, Ty, Inc., Mattel, Hasbro, TOPPS Trading Cards, NASCAR, Thomas Kinkade, Rachel Hale, Frigidaire, Fuzzy Nation, and Tutti-Cuti. Most recently Ms. Gabrielson has been the principle player in licensing and merchandising for megastar illusionist Criss Angel with placement of multimillion dollar retail toy programs at Walmart, Walgreen’s, Amazon and Barne’s and Noble.
At The Brand Liaison, Katey is a member of the company’s senior management team and leads new business initiatives. She is also responsible for managing licensing for several of the brands we represent and is a key liaison to major retail partners including Kmart/Sears, Target, Justice, Kohl’s, Walgreens, CVS, Best Buy, and Federated Department Stores’ Macy’s and Bloomingdales. Katey prides herself on her dedication to expanding placement of intellectual property, while maintaining a conservative hold on brand assurance, brand integrity and partner selection.
Marcy Silverman
“Camp Mom”
Marcy Silverman leads our representation of trend-setting designers and classic artists. Marcy specializes in providing brand and celebrity talent to manufactures in various industries including Gift, Home, Housewares, Toys and Apparel.
Marcy is a seasoned licensing professional with over 25 years of experience who has built her career and reputation based on initiative, strategic and creative thinking, strong leadership and results oriented hands on approach. She is a brand builder delivering effective results in developing talent, trend forecasting, product development and marketing. Marcy brings key insight into today’s retail environment with her background as designer, manufacturer and principal of Buffalo Rome a product design firm.
Throughout her career, she has consistently forged strong relationships with major giftware, stationery, party goods, toys, collectibles, publishing, apparel, textiles, tableware and home furnishings manufacturers. such as Gibson USA, Town and Country Home, Fiesta Toys, Demdaco, Mohawk, Design Design, Leaning Tree, CR Gibson, Creative Converting, Spectrix Fabric. Marcy’s licensing achievements have culminated in the sales of thousands of SKU’s and her direction has influenced trends in a broad range of products and markets.
Marcy understands the importance of teamwork, collaboration and a comprehensive knowledge of today’s trend-setting environment. We call her the Ring Leader because of her infectious spirit and an innate leadership abilities.
Marcy received her degrees in Psychology and Sociology from University of Vermont and Bennington College.
Paul Cohen
“PC : Always Politically Correct”
Paul Cohen is a partner in the Creatif Licensing Division of The Brand Liaison leading our representation of trend-setting designers and classic artists.
As founder of Creatif Licensing, Paul brings over 25 years of experience in professional brand management and international licensing programs. Among numerous accolades, Paul achieved great notoriety from his successful worldwide licensing program for the Moppets, and was responsible for the establishment and growth of the multi-million dollar Mary Engelbreit enterprise, including the brand launch and the attracting the first 40+ licensees.
Currently, our Creatif division provides a broad range of artistic talent to dozens of active licensees responsible for manufacturing licensed products in all the major industries including giftware, stationery, party goods, toys, collectibles, publishing, apparel, textiles, tableware and home furnishings. Paul is responsible for ensuring that we maintain strong relationships with our manufacturing partners, as he understands that these relationships are the key to our long term success.
Paul has appeared on TV with Morley Safer as a Licensing expert, and has lectured at the Licensing show, Art Expo, Surtex. He is an industry expert referenced in the Licensing Royalty Rate publication. Paul has an engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic institute and marketing background.
Joy Tashjian
“Architect and Builder”
Joy Tashjian is an industry award-winning consumer product leader, bringing over three decades of global licensing and broadcast sales experience in television and film. Joy has created and generated multi-billion-dollar consumer product programs on several television properties. Licensees and retailers describe her as a “creative architect” – always solving a challenge, and a dedicated, honest leader that genuinely cares about her partnerships.
Widely respected within the licensing and merchandising community, Ms. Tashjian was the President of the Worldwide Merchandising and Sales for DIC Entertainment from 1982 to 1999 during that time she worked with DIC Entertainment, ABC/Capital Cities and the Walt Disney Company from 1992 to 1998. During her time at DIC, she created, developed and supervised DIC’s Consumer Products Department. She was responsible for the successful development of several multi-million dollar brands including Madeline, Sailor Moon, Inspector Gadget and World Wrestling Federation, which gave DIC Merchandising global recognition and increased sales. Additionally, with the ABC and Disney acquisition of DIC Entertainment, Ms. Tashjian assumed merchandising responsibilities for several ABC Saturday morning network series and Disney properties.
Beginning in 2000, Joy Tashjian Marketing Group, LLC. (JTMG) represented, created, negotiated and developed licensing programs for NBC Universal Television Catalog that included properties from NBC, USA Network, Syfy Channel, Bravo and CNBC. JTMG, LLC built successful programs for Mr. Robot, The Magicians, Top Chef, The Biggest Loser, The Office and Deal or No Deal, receiving numerous industry awards. JTMG also represented Disney’s (“Life with Derek”), Nickelodeon’s (“Ricky Sprocket”), Cartoon Network’s (“Atomic Betty”), WGBH/PBS properties (“Fetch”, “Peep” and “Antiques Roadshow”), Telemundo (“Sword and the Rose – Zorro”).
Daniel “DJ” Jay
“Danny Hollywood”
Daniel Jay graduated with degrees in both law and journalism in the United Kingdom. Immediately after completing his master’s degree, he joined IMG, the world’s premier sports, fashion, and events agency. Working solely within the brand partnerships and licensing division, Daniel quickly established himself as a fast learner with a talent for pitching and closing significant licensing deals across the many sports and entertainment talent and properties within the IMG portfolio including all the major golf and tennis tournaments and players.
Over his career, Daniel has lead global licensing and marketing for such notable brands such as Fortnite, Rovio’s Angry Birds, the Alvin & The Chipmunks franchise, and the iconic Smiley emojis, with revenues surpassing $250M a year from licensing deals.
Most recently, Daniel served as VP of Licensing for CAA talent agency, where he worked across the CAA roster of sports, entertainment, music, and social media starts to secure licensing deals and endorsement opportunities. While at IMG and CAA, Daniel represented several beverage brands including Anheuser-Busch, owner of Budweiser, Michelob, Stella Artois, and Beck’s, Constellation Brands/Modelo who also own Corona and Suntory Holdings, owner of Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Yamazaki, and he has also worked in partnership with the Brown–Forman Corporation (owner of Jack Daniels), Diageo, Molson Coors, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Red Bull and several independently owner US liquor brands.
Now, with a combined eighteen years of experience in consumer product licensing and brand partnerships, Daniel has created with his own independent licensing company and collaborations with many of his former employers and clients, including joining The Brand Liaison as a Consulting Partner with a particular focus on alcoholic beverages and lifestyle brands.
Maya Assis
Maya Assis has enjoyed a stellar career in Entertainment and Fashion Licensing. With a proven track record of revenue growth and brand development, Maya has directed multimillion-dollar licensing businesses across all product categories.
Maya began her career at Turner Broadcasting where she developed her love for consumer products with Cartoon Network, and then served as the licensing agent for the state of Isreal for esteemed global brands including Warner Brothers, Mattel, Sanrio, Cartoon Network, International Soccer Leagues, and many others. This agency experience provided her with both invaluable insights into the DNA of each brand as well as the art of deal making for both Licensees and Licensors. She is able to quickly identify the unique characteristics of each brand and attract the right partners to maximize their licensing potential.
Throughout her career, Maya has handled licensing and collaborations with renowned brands such as Disney, Marvel, Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon, Sanrio, Sega, Pokémon Seuss, Peanuts, Nintendo Universal, Jazwares, Nautica, US Polo Association, and others.
A self-described Pop Culture nerd, Maya’s passion fuels her creativity. What sets Maya apart is her unwavering commitment to relationships. Maya’s dedication to fostering meaningful relationships is reflected in her approach to business, making her not only a respected industry expert but also a trusted and valued collaborator.
Dan Storch
“Power Broker”
With decades of experience in Business Development, licensing and partnerships, Dan has demonstrated his expertise through impactful roles where he has significantly boosted brand visibility and revenue.
In 2010 Dan co-founded brand design and strategy agency Good Apples in Boulder, Colorado. During his tenure his agency worked with myriad brands including Patagonia, Adobe, Threadless, and MillerCoors, across multiple product categories. Whether redefining product strategies, implementing new digital platforms or forging lucrative partnerships, Dan led the process every step of the way.
From 2018-2021 Dan was responsible for growing PopSockets’ inbound licensing program to over $15m/year in revenue—while streamlining the business unit and improving processes allowed the company to support dozens of national and international partnerships across multiple categories. Key relationships included: Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Pokémon, Sanrio, NFL, MLB, NBA, and IMG.
Dan has a robust track record of identifying lucrative partnership opportunities and negotiating agreements that benefit all parties involved. Beginning in 2021 Dan launched his own consultancy for small to medium sized businesses. With services ranging in scope from securing licensing partnerships, spearheading global communication campaigns, or improving supply chain and logistics, Dan continues to explore and grow his knowledge surrounding product development.
Dan attended The University of Massachusetts for his undergraduate degree in Geology; he lives and works in Colorado.
Elisa A. Gangl
“The Chef”
Elisa Gangl is a results driven executive with extensive knowledge on both the licensor and licensee side of the business. She has a proven track record for deal making and capitalizes on market opportunities to fuel growth. Throughout her career, Elisa has navigated through many challenges offering strategic solutions to build consumer products businesses and grow revenue.
Having worked on both sides of the licensing business enables Elisa to truly see both sides of the deal, envisioning and gaining buy-in to maximize the bottom line, reduce risk exposure, and preserve strategic relationships. With this experience, she understands and can navigate challenges that arise on both sides of the business, specializing in successful negotiations and strategic thinking.
Recently, Elisa spent 16+ years at SG Companies, a leader in the Footwear and Apparel industries. As Vice President of Licensing & Marketing she worked with high-profile brands in the fashion, children’s entertainment, and corporate industries. Elisa was responsible for managing over 35 brands in the SG portfolio including Disney, Universal, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., Lego, Sesame Street, Harley-Davidson, Levi’s, PVH, Perry Ellis, Russell Athletics, Chinese Laundry, and Rachel Rachel Roy, just to name a few.
Prior to SG, Elisa held several senior-level roles with licensors, culminating as VP for Copyrights America spearheading US operations. During that time, she was responsible for marketing and brand strategy for 10 different licenses with over 75 licensees and built North American programs for Maisy, Paddington Bear, Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, and other global brands.
Elisa graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and resides in New Jersey.
Eric Feig
Eric Feig is a veteran transactional entertainment lawyer and founder of Eric Feig Entertainment & Media Law, Inc. For over twenty years, he has represented a wide variety of Academy Award winning producers, top Hollywood and international writers, actors, directors, producers and influencers in the areas of film, television, book publishing, new media, licensing and merchandising. Eric is a frequent lecturer on general entertainment law and business topics and talent deal negotiations, and is often invited to US and international seminars and conferences as an expert resource.
In Eric’s career as an entertainment lawyer, Eric serviced clients in the licensing, toy and merchandising arenas and worked proactively to create synergies between traditional entertainment/new media platforms and the licensing and retail areas.
Utilizing years of experience, Eric brings a holistic approach with clients and brands, helping them to leverage new models and methods of advertising, merchandising, and brand development helping clients leverage their intellectual property and creative assets among multiple exploitation platforms.
As a founder at Driver Digital Studios, producers of some of the best in class pre-K children’s content, Eric plays a central role in deal making for the company as well spearheading and creating strategic business relationships in all areas of digital and traditional entertainment, media, branding and licensing. Eric is a Member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is licensed to practice law in New York and California.
Eric Michalowsky
“Our Picasso”
Eric Michalowsky manages all of The Brand Liaison’s creative, art and design needs and works with our clients to ensure proper presentation and brand messaging across all media.
In addition to a lifetime of graphic design and branding experience, Eric’s degrees in Business Finance and Marketing provide him with an understanding of our clients’ businesses, and the ability to direct the process and end product for maximum results.
Prior to joining The Brand Liaison, Eric formed his own graphic design agency, Empower Graphics, in 2006 which continues to this day. Prior to Empower Graphics, he was responsible for all marketing and information technology aspects of two major retail chains. This included applying his branding expertise to the design and introduction of e-commerce solutions as an alternate revenue stream. Prior to that, he was a principal of corPersona, a boutique branding and corporate identity agency, where he honed his graphic design skills and business acumen. His focus on corporate identity, logo design and branding came to the forefront during his intimate working relationships with corPersona clients, such as Arby’s, Bose and Chris Evert’s Annual Charity Tennis Tournament where they are still using his acclaimed logo.
Eric grew up in Zimbabwe and South Africa where, other than a cool accent, he acquired a Bachelor of Business Science from the University of Cape Town, majoring in Finance and Marketing.
He can paint himself in blue, red, black and grey. So very meaningful. Grey is his favorite color, and if he knew Picasso, he would buy himself a grey guitar and play…
Our Services
Brand Representation
We have a long and successful history of identifying and creating new revenue streams for our clients, extending their brands into new products ranging from apparel to accessories, toys and games, home goods and more.
Our brand licensing activities are designed to fulfill the two complementary goals of (1) revenue creation, without corresponding expenses of creating new divisions and new product categories, and (2) brand enhancement without the expenses of advertising and promotion. Even experienced manufacturers can seek to rely on the expertise of licensing partners in specialized areas such as product design, sourcing, sales and distribution.
And all of our licensing activities are designed to maintain the integrity and history of the brands we represent.
Benefits of Brand Licensing
As a brand owner, licensing provides the following benefits:
- Create new sources of revenue (without expenses or drain on company resources)
- Increase brand awareness, reinforce brand positioning and brand messaging
- Enhance brand image, increased goodwill and long term value of the brand
- Increase brand strength and create long term competitive advantages
- Broaden retail presence / cross-promotional opportunities
- Increased touch points with existing customers and attract new consumers
- Increased exposure and sales of the company’s core products
- Efficiently enter new markets without typical barriers to entry
- Expand product offerings utilizing licensees’ expertise, resources and efforts
- Protect and strengthen trademark ownership and new trademark categories
- Provides consumers genuine alternatives for illegal/unauthorized products
License Acquisition
For our manufacturer clients as licensees, we have developed an expertise in identifying and acquiring complementary brands to capitalize on all market sectors, including fashion, home decor, character and entertainment brands, and a special focus on acquiring professional and collegiate sports licensing.
Specifically, we look for “accretive revenue” opportunities, whereby our clients can look to greater volume, new accounts and new distribution channels. From department stores to mass merchants and other unique channels, we assist our clients in developing strong licensing programs in order to create long term licensing and retail success.
Benefits of Acquiring Brand Licenses
- Increase sales volume and incremental revenue streams
- Instant product and brand credibility
- Open new retail channels of distribution
- Diversify product and brands carried
- Utilize inherent brand attributes to develop new product
- Cater products to known customer base
Special Products Licensing
Celebrating the spirit of ingenuity and entrepreneurship, our Special Products Licensing division is dedicated to helping inventors bring their unique products to market through licensing, strategic collaborations, direct marketing, infomercials and other pathways.
Do you have a unique and innovative new product? Not sure how to get it to market? Our Special Products Licensing division provides inventors with the unique opportunity to align with experienced industry professionals that already have the production sources, the compliance and quality controls, logistics and fulfillment, and perhaps most importantly, the relationships with the buyers at all the major retail channels. Licensing not only reduces the costs and risks associated with launching a new product, but also significantly increases the likelihood of success.
Through our relationships with Daymond John, Kevin Harrington, HSN and QVC and numerous direct marketing, infomercial and media companies, we create licensing and other strategic partnerships that can provide long term reliable revenue streams without any significant investment of time or money. We seek out the manufacturers that have strong production abilities and the relationships and distribution with the major retailers.
Key Deliverables for All Services
Our services include the following deliverables:
- Market Assessment of Licensing Opportunities
- Identify Highest Value License Product Categories and Timetable
- Propose Strategic Licensing and Brand Extension Opportunities
- Identify and contact Target Licensees/Licensors and other Strategic Partners
- Develop Licensing Agreements and Term Sheets
- Negotiate and Close Licensing deals as Approved by Client
- Participate with Client and Licensees to Facilitate Product Development and Line Reviews
- Assist in Approvals and Monitoring of License Programs for Compliance
- We deliver results!
Our Philosophy
Integrity in Everything That We Do…
Core Values
Integrity | Creativity | Professionalism | Passion | Performance
Brand Integrity: Our programs and activities are designed to create new revenue streams for our clients, while maintaining the tradition and history of the brands that we represent. Bridging the past with the future, we bring the history of our brands into powerful new programs consistent with the integrity of each brand.
Personal Integrity: There is nothing more important to us than our personal integrity. We strive to always maintain open, honest and candid communication with our clients and partners. It is our commitment to our services and our integrity, that is the bond of The Brand Liaison.
Program Integrity: We never recommend a deal that we don’t believe in. We work hard to create programs that will be successful to all parties. We believe this mutually beneficial philosophy will help us, as well as our clients, to foster successful, long term relationships.
Our Brands
Some of our properties available for licensing:
(View all or click on any category below)
Industry Resources
Transmodal
LogisticsTransmodal
Digital Retailers Advisors
Amazon ConslutingDigital Retailers Advisors
Fabritech
Print On DemandFabritech
Foley Schechter
LegalFoley Schechter
FSS Warehouse
3PLFSS Warehouse
Licensing International
Licensing International
The Shark Group
MarketingThe Shark Group
Empower Graphics
Graphic DesignEmpower Graphics
Epstein Drangel
IP EnforcementEpstein Drangel
Merchant Financial
FactorMerchant Financial
SHRB
Sales AgencySHRB
Alt Legal
Trademark SupportAlt Legal
Testimonials
“I’ve had an amazing experience working with the Brand Liaison team. They are smart, fast and master deal makers. Their network is vast and it has allowed us to expand quickly in licensing and consumer products.”
Tyler Rutstein
Overtime
“Although we are in the early stages of our partnership with Brand Liaison, the experience has already been incredibly promising. Their team has shown exceptional dedication, professionalism, and a deep understanding of our brand’s needs. We are currently working on a few exciting deals, and their innovative approach and strategic insights have been impressive. I am confident that our collaboration with Brand Liaison will continue to bring significant value and growth to National Day Calendar. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking to elevate their brand.”
Marlo Anderson
National Day Calendar
“When we first signed up for licensing, we thought that licensed products would make up about 20-30% of our SKUs and sales while increasing 10-20% of our sales, but we were so wrong! Steven and Laurie with The Brand Liaison helped us secure many of the top franchises, and within 3 years we will be close to 5X on Sales with licensing accounting for close to 75% of our business! The Brand Liaison is a team of truly-seasoned professionals with the industry expertise and ability to get the job done. We highly recommend them to any business looking to build their licensing.”
Art Chang
Sassy Woof
“Steven and The Brand Liaison have been instrumental in helping Warren James grow over the last 6 years to become the market leader for creator merchandising and licensing. They provide expertise in licensing from both a business and legal point of view, while also understanding your personal goals and business objectives. I highly recommend everyone work with them.”
Kevin Ramsey
Warren James
“We have been working with Steven and the team at The Brand Liaison for all our licensing needs, and we couldn’t be happier with their services. Their expertise, dedication, and proactive approach have played a significant role in helping us expand and enhance our portfolio.
Cory has been an incredible asset to our team and his insights and guidance have been invaluable in navigating the complexities of the licensing landscape. His ability to understand our vision and translate it into actionable strategies has led to significant growth for our brand. We are immensely grateful for his support and look forward to continuing our successful partnership with The Brand Liaison.
Thank you, Cory, Laurie, Maya, and the entire Brand Liaison team, for your exceptional work and commitment to excellence!”
Jimmy Gartner
Brisco Apparel Company, Inc.
“We have worked with many other agencies in the past, both big and small, and I can state unequivocally, that the Brand Liaison has performed head and shoulders above all others for the David Tutera brand. Their attention to detail and their enthusiasm and overall insight is fabulous. It has been wonderful to work with Steve, Laurie, Marcy and the entire Brand Liaison team – they get our brand, they get us, and they get deals done!!!”
David Tutera
“The Brand Liaison has been instrumental guiding Christopher Knight Brands and bringing the Christopher Knight Collection brand extension to market. Helping with both strategy and execution, The Brand Liaison comes to the table with both brand licensing & trademarking legal expertise and an extensive knowledge of marketplace. Having a thorough understanding of the legal framework under which trademarks are granted and protected, as well as a command of how and where brands are valued and by whom, is a recipe for success. Their vast knowledge of brand licensing is equaled by their passion for brand building. Our success is very much a shared accomplishment. They stand with us, sharing in a sense of pride that we are building a brand of lasting value. ”
Christopher Knight
The Brady Bunch
“The Brand Liaison saw potential in our company and instantly put our brand on the map. I can’t think of many individuals that work as hard and respond as quick as Steven. He’s a straight up beast with a lifetime worth of experience in the licensing management arena. With Katey and team adding additional firepower to our account, we can’t ask for a better team to go to bat for us. Within just a few months, they’ve closed at least a dozen new contracts for us. They have a large portfolio of clients but they’ve made us feel like their only. Thank you Steven and Team for believing in us.”
Rick Moby
EmojiOne JoyPixels
“Steve Heller is a great partner to work with. He understands not only the legal issues but also the business side, which make things so much more practical in getting deals to the finish line. He is super-responsive, a problem solver and is extremely knowledgeable on licensing industry norms and standards. It is a pleasure working with Steven as he instills confidence on matters we work on together and his engaging personality is extremely helpful in working with counsel on the other side in moving things along.”
Larry Fox
Daymond John’s
Shark Branding
“Licensing has been one of the key factors contributing to the rapid growth of the Loudmouth brand. In 2010, Loudmouth started handling the licensing of products ourselves, but it was a bit of an uphill battle. Early on in our licensing endeavors, Steven Heller and The Brand Liaison agency approached us about representing Loudmouth for licensing. It worked out brilliantly and in 2016 Loudmouth/The Brand Liaison was a finalist for the top Licensing Program of the Year for a Celebrity/Fashion Brand. He’s a tireless promoter that has been doing this for a long time and knows all the key players in a variety of product categories. He was wonderful in getting our brand in front of many big decision makers.”
Larry Jackson
“Honestly, I can’t tell you how refreshing and fun it’s been to work with big picture thinkers and doers like you. In a world where people love to say No and explain why things CAN’T be done, I TRULY appreciate the people in my life that don’t see anything as impossible and say “How can we do it” instead of “we can’t do that”. You are those type of people – my type of people! And after a year like last I can’t tell you how much that means!!”
Connie Contardi
How to Cake It
“I have been around for a long time with Nike, Disney, Hurley and Loudmouth. Over the years I have worked with many licensing companies and agents but for my money there is no one more dedicated or more professional than Steven Heller and The Brand Liaison.
He and his staff are smart, driven, experienced and always have a creative solution to difficult issues. Steve and his team don’t know the meaning of 9 to 5. They are a 24/7 operation. One of the best things about The Brand Liaison is that they make me feel like we are their only client. They are tireless workers who have vast experience in the licensing world and are always willing to go the extra mile.
For Loudmouth, the Brand Liaison really helped develop both golf and lifestyle partnerships and were constantly bringing new opportunities to us for review. They were super diligent to insure that our partners were world class.
I love working with Steve and his team and would highly recommend them to anyone looking to build their brand through licensing opportunities.”
Dennis Green
Index L.A.
“It’s rare that you come across a standout organization like The Brand Liaison. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with Steven Heller and his team for the past two years, during which time we have collaborated on several projects together. Above all, I am impressed with their vast knowledge of brands and their ability to guide us and mentor us through the licensing process so well.”
Janice Lehr
Mad Engine
“It has been a pleasure to work with the Brand Liaison. Cory Waisner has been great to work with and has helped open several doors for our company. He is very professional and knows so many people in the industry, which is key in this business. Congratulations to Brand Liaison and thank you for your support!”
Michael Katina
Jupiter Creations
“All of us here at the Crown Jewlz team have so enjoyed our new partnership with the folks from Brand Liaison. They bring such passion and professionalism to the table; it is so refreshing to work with such talented & creative people that deliver quality results. They have taken our Ugly Christmas Sweater program to exciting new levels we could have only imagined .”
Karen Myers
Crown Jewlz, LLC
“I’ve worked with countless licensing agents and I can say that The Brand Liaison is among a small group of agencies that have actually been able to execute and add value. They’ve become an important member of the team to trust with building and maintaining a robust licensing program.”
Scott Fisher
Select Management
“I just wanted to say congratulations!
I have to overshare and say that I’ve always been really impressed with your thought processes and the efficiency in which you get things done. So, having the opportunity to work and learn even more about this licensing world you live in has been a privilege. Wishing you many more years of continued success!”
Jessica McCarthy
Daymond John’s
Shark Branding
“It has been a real pleasure to work with Steven, Karen and the entire team at The Brand Liaison. Our shared belief that building long lasting business relationships goes hand in hand with success has been evident from the get go. The time and effort they have spent to learn about and understand our business, along with our vision for the future, has been astonishing. With that knowledge they have been able to find partners who share the same vision and close deals that will help build our brand. I have been most impressed with their passion for finding the “right deal” rather than the “quick deal”, and their willingness to continuously keep the lines of communication open with the goal of finding those perfect “win/win” partnerships for us!”
Alix Buckley
Stephen Joseph
“The Brand Liaison has been instrumental in assisting us with our licensing, including getting us the collegiate licenses we needed to launch our sports licensing. Steve and Sandy took the time to understand our business and guide us through a very competitive landscape in sports licensed apparel. And they remain committed to helping us with additional sports licensing opportunities. Their knowledge, support and professionalism is outstanding and that’s why I highly recommended them when a friend recently asked me for a reference.”
Jake Ptasznik
Spirit Activewear
“The Brand Liaison Group has been a great asset to our company. They took the time to analyze and understand our business and followed up with relevant branding ideas with clear benefits to our company. Then Steve and his team helped bring these ideas to life by supporting us from the initial introductory brand meetings all the way through contract signing and beyond.”
Abe Safdieh
Best Accessory Group
“Our experience with The Brand Liaison has been an absolute success. I feel very comfortable with the way they represent us and understand our needs. They have very strong connections in the market and a wide ranging network to reach the key contacts. I am confident that in their passion and performance to help us reach our goals.”
Emre Bekmezci
Unique Brands
“Steven and the team at Brand Liaison are an absolute pleasure to deal with. Their level of service is outstanding, and they’ve been instrumental in building our brands across a multitude of product categories in an organized and simplistic way. They have brought us brands that have been very well received in the marketplace and we look forward to utilizing their expertise as we continue to grow our partnership.”
Robert Zarabli
Felina Brands
“As a business owner in an industry driven by creativity and artistic design, sometimes it feels impossible to find anyone who understands your brand and shares your vision the way you do. From the minute I met Steven Heller and the team at The Brand Liaison, I could see how much they believed in my brand and the opportunity for us to grow within the licensing community. Having that support from your licensing team is KEY to the growth of any company.”
Ilene Segal
idesign + co
“I am pleased to say that The Brand Liaison carefully took our needs, target market and categories into consideration and provided creative options. We feel there is a real focus on our account. We are happy with the service and would recommend The Brand Liaison to manufacturers in all industries.”
Rob Baranoff
Shalom International
“Steven and Sandy always look out for our best interests and continuously go above and beyond for their clients; not just with words but with actions. They are extremely professional, fun and easy to work with and bring an extensive Licensing knowledge base and experience to the table. It is always a pleasure working with The Brand Liaison Team”
Jordan Key
Cisco Supply
“The Brand Liaison has been an invaluable resource in helping to grow our business. I’ve been continually impressed by their professionalism, strategic approach to evaluating opportunities, and ability to create connections with partners….”
Javier Colvaco
Clean Cubes
Press
Appearances
Enjoy videos of The Brand Liaison’s “Professor”, Steven Heller, as he talks and presents at webinars, trade shows and other relevant venues!
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Branding Yourself in Today’s Market
Invention-Con 2019
Licensing: Understand Why and When to License Your Ideas
Invention-Con 2019
Licensing University: How to Negotiate a Licensing Deal
for New and Emerging Properties
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Featured Articles
Press Releases
Prior Years Press
Contact Us
The Brand Liaison
Phone/Fax: 855-TheLiaison (855-843-5424)
Email: Licensing@TheBrandLiaison.com
Florida/Corporate Headquarters:
The Brand Liaison
777 Yamato Road, Suite 100
Boca Raton, FL 33431
