Draft:Michael J. Kelly (licensing publisher)

Michael Kelly is an American licensing publisher who was formerly the Vice-President of Global Publishing in Hasbro, and recently he founded his own company named Extensive Enterprises.

Early work
Micheal J. Kelly began his career unpacking boxes in the receiving room of his local Barnes & Noble and has been hooked on the book business ever since. With an English degree from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University, he has developed the unique skill set of bringing both creativity and business acumen to the industry of storytelling. From children’s books to adult non-fiction, Kelly worked in a variety of publishing positions and categories.

Hasbro (2005–2023)
Between 2005 and 2023, Kelly joined toy and entertainment company Hasbro on the category of Global Publishing. By the time, Kelly had grown the publishing business from $20 million in annual wholesale revenues to over $200 million and was overseeing global teams and licensees responsible for publishing 1,000 new titles per year. His last work was his role in the deal between Hasbro with Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment to publish the Energon Universe.

Extensive Enterprises (2024–present)
In 2024, Kelly founded Extensive Enterprises, LLC., a company focused on the licensing of third-party intellectual properties.

Its initial client roster includes:


 * Valaverse, the company behind the Action Force brand of action figures and vehicles
 * King Features, a unit of Hearst that manages brands including Popeye and Flash Gordon
 * Punkies Playhouse, an IP owner relaunching Fluppy Dogs, Sea Wees, Snorks, and ESLEEP brands
 * DCS International Productions
 * Anime Village
 * Toonz Media Group and Gold Valley Films for the forthcoming animated feature Pierre the Pigeon Hawk

Kelly stated, “developing a strong IP and executing the right brand strategy is vital to breaking through the noise in today’s marketplace, and storytelling is a particularly important component in any brand strategy. I have an extensive and verifiable track record of success in this space, and am looking forward to helping companies, creators, and publishers achieve their goals.”