2025 Hall of Fame Inductee
ALLISON AMES, President & CEO, Beanstalk
With nearly 30 years of experience leading licensing initiatives for diverse brands and retail exclusive programs, Allison Ames oversees the strategic direction of Beanstalk globally and leads the agency’s growth efforts. She plays a key role in developing and driving Beanstalk’s culture, which has set the agency apart in the industry.
Since joining Beanstalk in 1997, Allison has spearheaded global and U.S.-based strategic licensing initiatives for diverse clients including P&G, Stanley Black & Decker, Diageo, W.K. Kellogg, Kellanova, Godiva, Dole, the U.S. Army, HGTV, The Ohio State University, The Met, among many others.
She was an integral part of the development and management of worldwide retail exclusive programs for Chef Eric Adjepong, Kelly Ripa, Salma Hayek, Mary-Kate & Ashley and Danskin Now and has been instrumental in elevating Beanstalk’s expertise in direct-to-retail partnerships. Additionally, Allison reintroduced the Manufacturer Representation division to the agency and led the expansion of Beanstalk’s geographic footprint into Latin America.
Allison has defined the culture of the agency to drive collaboration, creativity and productivity. She has spearheaded the development of Beanstalk’s learning and development programs, community involvement through its Beanstalk Hands-On and Beanstalk Charities Programs, and its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practice of “Antiracism, Allyship and Action” (AAA).
Under her leadership, Beanstalk has won 28 awards for Licensing Excellence from Licensing International including the 2022 Licensing International Excellence Award for Best Licensing Agency, as well as 11 B&LLA Brand & Lifestyle Awards and the P&G Innovation Capability Award. Allison herself was the recipient of License Global’s 2018 Influentials Award and in 2022, she was named License Global’s The Influential, chosen for “excellence in all categories or one specific, earth-shattering example of how an individual can create a sea of change” in the industry.
For the past three years, Allison has been a mentor in Licensing International’s Mentorship Program and enjoys formally and informally mentoring rising young professionals throughout the industry.
In 2024, she launched Justice for Our Daughters, a non-profit organization that combats sexual predators to protect the exploitation of women and young children, a cause that is near and dear to her heart.
Most recently, in 2025, Allison orchestrated the sale of Beanstalk from Omnicom to a consortium of institutional investors to ensure that Beanstalk will continue to drive innovation in the licensing industry and deliver excellence for its world-class clients.
Allison holds a B.A. in International Business & Marketing from George Washington University and an M.B.A. in International Business from Hofstra University. She also completed Omnicom University’s Senior Management Program at Babson College in 2009 followed by their Graduate and Post-Graduate programs in 2010 and 2016.
Presented by:
MICHAEL STONE, Vice Chairman and Co-founder of Beanstalk
Michael Stone serves as Vice Chairman and Co-founder of Beanstalk, a leading global brand licensing agency. He is also the author of The Power of Licensing: Harnessing Brand Equity (Ankerwycke, 2018) and has been inducted into the 2019 Licensing International Hall of Fame.
Michael has been instrumental in driving the evolution of licensing from primarily an entertainment marketing tool to a highly effective corporate marketing and communications tool used by many of today’s Fortune 500 companies. Michael has been a leader in all facets of licensing, developing brand extension programs for major multinational corporations as well as celebrities, sports and entertainment properties, including retail exclusive programs devoted to specific licensed properties.
Under Michael’s leadership, Beanstalk has been responsible for some of the most successful licensing programs of all time, including programs for Harley-Davidson, The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, AT&T, Ford Motor Company, Stanley Black & Decker, the U.S. Army, and HGTV, among others. Additionally, he and his team conceived and implemented the ground-breaking and highly successful Mary-Kate and Ashley global fashion and lifestyle program, which achieved over a billion dollars in worldwide retail sales from 2000 to 2009. Today, Beanstalk continues to represent Procter & Gamble, Stanley Black & Decker, and the U.S. Army, as well as many other world-famous clients, such as Diageo, Kellanova, W.K. Kellogg, Dole, The Met, The Ohio State University and Microsoft Studios. Michael and Beanstalk are the recipients of over 40 awards for excellence in licensing. He was instrumental in the sale of Beanstalk to Omnicom (NYSEG: OMC) in 2005 and the private acquisition of Beanstalk from Omnicom in 2025.
Michael is a widely sought-after authority on licensing and is frequently cited in Advertising Age, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, The New York Times, and other top print and broadcast media outlets and was a frequent contributor to Forbes. Michael has served as an adjunct professor of brand licensing at Baruch University School of Business and Long Island University Post and has lectured on licensing at Boston University School of Management, Babson University, Baruch University, the Wharton School of Business, and F.I.T., among other institutions. Michael was one of the founding directors of the Long Island University Post Institute for branding and licensing.
Michael earned his Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law and graduated from Hamilton College with a Bachelor of Arts in Government.
