New York — Licensing International, the leading trade association for the global brand licensing industry, has announced the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees. The Hall of Fame Awards honor executives’ legacies, bodies of work, and unique contributions to the global brand licensing community.

This year’s inductees are Nicole Miller, Founder and Designer at Nicole Miller; Robert Millman, Senior Vice President of International Merchandising and Attractions at the National Basketball Association; and Sharon Price John, retiring CEO and President of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. and incoming CEO and President of Carter’s Inc.

The 2026 Hall of Fame inductees will be celebrated during the Hall of Fame Induction and Rising Star Awards ceremony on December 2 at Gotham Hall in New York City. The annual event brings together leaders from across the global brand licensing industry to recognize the executives whose creativity, leadership and long-standing contributions have helped shape the business.

“Licensing International’s Hall of Fame is an opportunity to recognize the licensing veterans who have helped to shape our industry and our community, and also to reflect on how their decades of commitment and creativity have helped to push the business forward,” said Maura Regan, President of Licensing International. “This event is also a chance to connect with and provide support to the next generation of licensing leaders. There will be much to celebrate as we also shine a spotlight on our 2026 Rising Stars.”

In addition to honoring this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, the event will spotlight the next generation of licensing leaders through the Rising Star program. The program recognizes young professionals from around the world who have been nominated by their peers for their contributions to the global brand licensing industry. The 2026 Rising Star recipients will be announced later this year.

The Hall of Fame ceremony also supports the Licensing International Foundation scholarship program, which grants scholarships to deserving individuals around the world who are interested in pursuing careers in brand licensing. Since 2021, the program has awarded more than $600,000 in funds to 82 scholarship recipients. The program is a crucial element of Licensing International’s ongoing work to support the next generation of licensing professionals and ensure the industry continues to grow and evolve.

To learn more about the 2026 Hall of Fame inductees and the Rising Star Awards, please visit LicensingInternational.org for more information.

About Licensing International
Licensing International is the leading trade organization for the $369+ billion global licensing industry. Licensing International’s mission is to foster the growth and expansion of licensing around the world, raise the level of professionalism for licensing practitioners, and create greater awareness of the benefits of licensing to the business community at large. Founded in 1985, Licensing International members in over 40 countries enjoy access to an array of benefits, including extensive educational programming and worldwide networking events. Visit LicensingInternational.org for more information.

About Licensing International Foundation
The Licensing International Foundation was established in 2020 to mark a new chapter in the global association’s charitable initiatives and to continue its decades-long support of the brand licensing community. The Foundation is focused on the education of future licensing leaders through the Licensing International Scholarship Program, which awards grants to deserving individuals who are interested in a career in brand licensing. Visit https://licensinginternational.org/about/foundation/ for more information or to donate.