Brad Beckerman to himself as a “serial entrepreneur,” and for good reason. Simply put, his business card runneth over. Beckerman works in branding, licensing, merchandising and design, and he never gets bored with his job. Ever. “I don’t think I’ve had two of the same days in 20 years,” he says. “There’s no routine. Every day I wake up and deal with the obstacles that come my way.”
Beckerman began his career with Starter, the sports-apparel company founded by his dad, David Beckerman. After that he worked in merchandising and licensing; became president and CEO of Groove Track Productions, an entertainment and brand-development company; and then founded Trunk Ltd., a music merchandising company he ultimately sold to Live Nation.
Currently he is the founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based it.worldwide, a brand-creation and development company that constructs revenue streams for in-house properties and partner brands. For instance, it.worldwide—in partnership with Brand Sense Partners—has been appointed by Lionsgate to help manage the licensing strategy for Mad Men. “There are design companies. There are licensing companies. There are people who are brand consultants. We combine them all,” says Beckerman. “What sets us apart is that we develop ideas. Other companies come in after somebody has an idea. We actually ignite the ideas.”
Beckerman’s company is looking forward to introducing and nurturing two especially promising projects this year. The first is a brand-new spirits company Beckerman is CEO and cofounder of called STILLHOUSE, which is backed by Bill and Peter Deutsch (chairman and CEO of leading wine and spirits distributors W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd.) and cofounded by renowned chef and restaurateur
Adam Perry Lang. Beckerman says “STILLHOUSE will revolutionize the whiskey category” when its debut brand is released this summer. The other project is a new relaxation beverage called b-melo, billed as the anti-Red Bull.
While Beckerman’s business life is bustling, so too is his personal life as he prepares to become half of a power couple when he weds designer Chase Naphtal in September. “There will be an eclectic mix of people from all walks of life at the wedding,” he says. You didn’t think he’d compile a boring guest list with the usual suspects, did you?
