# Edward Kim

**IP Scout** — United States

> Content acquisition and licensing dealmaker with 10 years across creator platforms including WEBTOON, Tapas, and Pocket Toons. Founder of a literary agency that has closed $500K+ in publishing and licensing deals for 20+ creators.

Career Archetype: **Launchpad Navigator** (HS-DG) — One of the first Launchpad Navigators on Saywise

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/edward-wonbin-kim

## Experience

### Committee Member (Media & Digital Innovations), The Association of American Literary Agents (2026-02 – present)

### IP Scout, Invisible Narratives | INVIZ (2026-01 – present)
Santa Monica, CA · Sources and evaluates creator and IP opportunities, building acquisition frameworks and revenue-stream analyses. Audits IP valuation databases covering the largest YouTube IPs by category and produces creator intelligence reports using AI-assisted research.

### Legal Assistant, Tyler Chou Law for Creators (2025-12 – 2026-04)
Santa Monica, CA · Reviewed and negotiated creator-brand deal terms, flagging discrepancies in IP ownership, exclusivity, indemnification, and termination provisions for attorney escalation. Researched California Coogan Law and SB 764 compliance for minor creators in monetized vlogs and produced memos and decks for the supervising attorney.

### Writer & Consultant, Pocket Toons (2025-05 – 2025-11)
Culver City, CA · Adapted a romance IP into serialized scripts for a digital-first vertical-scroll format. Coordinated a team of writers, artists, and producers on art direction and advised business leaders on webcomic market trends, licensing, and platform strategy.

### Founding Literary Agent, Fictopia LLC (2022-08 – present)
Camarillo, CA · Negotiates multi-service publishing and licensing deals for 20+ authors and their IPs, with $500K+ in closed deals. Manages creator relationships day-to-day and runs go-to-market execution for client IP launches. Drafts and redlines agency agreements, publishing deals, and work-for-hire contracts with attorneys.

### Localization Coordinator, Nexon America (2022-04 – 2025-01)
El Segundo, California, United States · Supported global entertainment IPs generating 7-figure MRR through translation and cultural localization. Coordinated multi-disciplinary teams and maintained databases to keep brand representation accurate across products and consumer-facing materials.

### Content Acquisition Specialist, WEBTOON Entertainment (2020-10 – 2021-10)
Los Angeles, CA · Managed a $350K acquisition budget and negotiated contracts for 100+ international IPs across U.S., Canada, East Asia, and SE Asia. Structured licensing agreements with legal and executive teams and built freelance creative teams to deliver original company-owned IP.

### Post-baccalaureate Research Fellow, National Institutes of Health (NIH): Intramural Research Program (IRP) (2018-07 – 2020-06)
Washington DC-Baltimore Area · - This was where I said goodbye to the biomedical field & academia. - However, while I was here, I... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Earned $70k+ in research grants over 2 years. - Studied epigenetic and cellular changes that occur with age. - Co-authored 6 peer-reviewed articles. - Hosted wellness workshops in meditation, functional mobility, and wellbeing. 🧘‍♂️

### Psychiatric Ward Intern, Kyung Hee University (2017-06 – 2017-08)
Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, Korea · Shadowed doctors, getting a first-hand experience of mental illnesses and their impact on patients. 👨‍⚕️🏥

### Translator & Consultant, Tapas Entertainment, and other companies (2016-09 – 2024-01)
El Segundo, California, United States · Provided cross-border consulting for entertainment executives and created market trend decks for webcomics and webnovels. Facilitated introductions between creators, licensees, and publishers, and translated contracts and documents for governments, businesses, and institutions.

### Lead Research Assistant/Lab Manager, University of California, Santa Cruz (2015-06 – 2018-06)
Azmitia Lab · - Studied gamete (sex cells) formation using microscopic & bioluminescent roundworms🔬🪱. - Brewed essential lab supplies (like agar plates) for the whole lab (~6 post-docs/grad students) 🧪🧫🥼.

### Philanthropy Intern, Kyung Hee University (2014-08 – 2014-09)
Siem Reap, Cambodia · Lived and worked in Cambodia as an intern for a rural village development initiative. I got very tan.🧑‍🌾🐔

### Lab of Immunology Intern, Korea University (2012-07 – 2012-09)
Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, Korea · Assisted graduate students in creating and culturing hybridoma cells (living antibody factories) harvested from the liver of mice. 🐭🧫

## Education

### Doctor of Law, The Colleges of Law (2024-08 – 2028-02)
Evening program, expected 2027

### Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology / Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz (2013-09 – 2018-06)
B.S. GPA 3.41; B.A. highest honors and Dean's Award for Senior Thesis

## Skills

Leadership, Teamwork, Research, Customer Service, Microbiology, Microsoft Excel, Time Management, Event Management, Event Planning, Psychology, Public Speaking, Science Communication, Molecular Genetics, Computational Biology, Highly Ambitious, Content Licensing & Acquisition, Deal Structuring & Negotiation, Deal Economics, Rights Valuation, Contracts, Creator Economy Partnerships, CRM, Market Trend Analysis, Written & Oral Communication, Google Sheets, AI-Assisted Research

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Source: https://saywise.com/member1526 (last modified 2026-10-21T04:43:30.271Z)