As artificial intelligence reshapes the business landscape, brand strategist and founder of Unmtchd., Oana Leonte, is calling for a radical rethink of how companies approach intellectual property.

Drawing on two decades of experience with global giants including Disney, Puma, Warner Bros, and Paramount, Oana warns that most brands are overlooking their most critical asset: their IP.

“If AI is the new electricity, then IP is the currency,” says Oana. “We’re building companies in code, and if you don’t own that code, you don’t own your business.”

Following NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s recent declaration that AI factories will soon generate intelligence as reliably as power plants generate electricity, Leonte argues that IP is no longer a post-launch legal task, it is the infrastructure of modern business.

“Designs, datasets, workflows, digital twins, these are no longer just by-products of innovation, they are the product which means they’re vulnerable the moment they’re created.”

In a world where products are developed and simulated entirely in virtual environments before a single item goes to market, Leonte is urging businesses to adopt a pre-market IP strategy, mapping, protecting and monetising assets from day zero.

She outlines a layered approach she calls the IP Stack, which includes:

• Human IP is the founder’s story, values, and voice
• Brand IP are the proprietary methods, visual systems, and content frameworks
• Ecosystem IP is community data, licensing structures and monetisation logic

Oana is particularly vocal about the risks of relying on outdated legal frameworks in a borderless, AI-led economy. She comments, “Traditional IP law is too slow, too local, and too reactive. We need IP strategies that are fast, global, and embedded from the very beginning, and we need them now.”

Her warning is clear: without this shift, businesses risk leaking value to more agile, IP-savvy competitors, or worse, funding the next generation of copycats.

She concludes, “Ownership is the new moat. In the AI-first economy, the brands that codify, protect, and activate their IP will dominate. Everyone else will struggle to keep up or disappear entirely.”

Oana Leonte is the founder of Unmtchd., a media and education platform dedicated to empowering founders, creators, and brand builders with the strategies they need to scale their businesses through IP, brand ecosystems and storytelling. With over 20 years of experience across entertainment, fashion, and sports, Oana has worked with industry giants like Disney, Puma, Warner Bros, and Paramount, mastering the art of brand building, licensing, and intellectual property strategy.

Now, through Unmtchd., Oana is on a mission to help the next generation of entrepreneurs turn their ideas into scalable, sustainable brands, whether they are building a media company, launching a product, or growing a personal brand. She is also the host of unmtchd. with Oana Leonte, a podcast where she explores the future of branding, media, and entrepreneurship with industry leaders.

Oana is available for expert commentary, interviews and speaking opportunities on:

The role of IP in an AI-first business world
Brand ownership in virtual and digital economies
What leaders need to know before entering the Omniverse

A sought-after speaker and upcoming author, Oana’s expertise lies at the intersection of branding, entrepreneurship, and the creator economy. Her insights help individuals and businesses break free from outdated models and build brands that stand out, scale and leave a lasting impact.

More information can be found at www.theunmtchd.com

For media enquiries, please contact Natalie Trice Publicity at natalietrice@natalietrice.co.uk

Image Oana Leonte.