{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Licensing Exchange","title":"From Publicist to Patent Holder: GennComm CEO Genna Rosenberg on Purpose, Play, and Product Innovation","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2305,"description":"On Episode 14 of The Licensing Exchange, David Schnider and Greg Pan talk with Genna Rosenberg. She is a toy licensing and entertainment executive, social impact strategist and keynote speaker, and the Los Angeles Business Journal named her its 2026 Innovator of the Year.\n\nGenna got into licensing in her first job out of college, doing PR for kids’ properties including The Wiggles and Bananas in Pajamas. She went on to spend twelve years at JAKKS Pacific, where she built the company’s philanthropy program, and then founded GennComm. Through its product development division, GennComm ImaGENNation, her team holds patents on memory foam in plush toys, an innovation that helped start the squishy plush category. Genna talks about what inventors need to know before pitching a manufacturer, how licensed mock-ups help partners see a product’s potential, and how fast-moving toy companies keep up with trends.\nShe also explains the business case for purpose-driven product development, from inventory management to round-up campaigns, and shares her work as founding industry ambassador for Autism in Entertainment, which creates career pathways for adults on the spectrum.\n\nTopics Covered:\nGenna’s start in licensing through The Wiggles and Bananas in Pajamas\nTwelve years at JAKKS Pacific and building its philanthropy program\nGennComm ImaGENNation’s patents on memory foam in plush and fiber in slime\nWhat inventors need to know before approaching a manufacturer\nSelling direct to consumers through TikTok Shop and Amazon\nWhy speed to market matters in today’s toy industry\nHow licensed mock-ups help partners see a product’s potential\nThe business case for social impact and “frictionless activism”\nHow she works trade shows like Toy Fair and Licensing Expo\nAutism in Entertainment and creating career pathways for neurodivergent talent","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/RAH4lcm6fnXGXYK4YrGKMNYsQvorpLuJUJKVi690Xbo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81NTU5/M2IzYThlYTM1MmQ1/ZWI5OTFhY2M1NjM1/ZmFiMy5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}