IP Means Impact Potential: A Three-Generational Look at Athlete IP

Between supporting a brand platform launch for a client centered on her mission and longstanding industry impact to relaying strategic recommendations centered on IP for another client this past week, intellectual property has been top-of-mind for me these past few weeks…well honestly, always. So I figured I’d make it not only this week’s article focus, but a newsletter series.

When we talk about the true value of an athlete’s brand, the conversation often centers on name, image, and likeness. But the real force multiplier–the engine that extends influence, impact, and long-term revenue is intellectual property (IP).

IP is more than a legal asset; it’s the foundation of Platforms, strategic partnerships, and movements. It anchors an athlete’s unique story while creating scalable outlets for collaboration, storytelling, and business ventures. And across generations of athletes, we can see how IP has reshaped what it means to build legacy and impact beyond the game. So to kick off this newsletter series called “IP Means Impact Potential”, I’m doing a three-generational “IP outlook” of some of our favorite names in the game today. And hey, I’m keeping this one short for us because it’s the start of Q4 and we’ve all got to knock some stuff out of the park before 2025 officially gives us the goodbye! The three-generational focus for this entry is Stephen Curry (an IP I’ve sat close to), Serena Williams and Angel Reese.

The Throughline: IP As Impact Potential

From Curry to Serena to Reese, one truth emerges: IP is the throughline for true impact and it’s evident across generations of athletes & entertainers and their platforms. As a utility, IP extends the lifespan of partnerships, provides authenticity in brand extensions, and creates leverage that outlasts the playing career.

When athletes treat IP as their anchor, they’re not just monetizing the moment, they’re multiplying their impact potential: their legacy, generational wealth impact and brand longevity.

1. Stephen Curry: The Underrated Blueprint

Stephen Curry’s Underrated platform is a textbook example of IP as a brand extension. Born from his personal story, being overlooked as a high school recruit, Underrated transformed a narrative into a scalable ecosystem. What started as a basktball tournament promoting three-star rated high school athletes evolved into a content property, sponsorship platform, and programming business. Curry didn’t just extend his narrative, he created a replicable asset that multiplies opportunities and cements his impact long after his playing days.

Curry extended his personal experience and narrative into IP.

2. Serena Williams: From Champion to Investor

If Curry represents IP as narrative, Serena Williams represents IP as empire. With Serena Ventures in investment, and her recent Wyn Beauty line in cosmetics, Serena demonstrates how IP can translate into industries far beyond sport. Each of her ventures is rooted in her identity: style, resilience, women’s empowerment yet structured to stand as scalable businesses. Serena’s model shows how IP can anchor partnerships while also birthing wholly owned platforms, proving athletes can shift from endorsers to ecosystem builders.

Serena’s ecosystem is empire-driven IP.

3. Angel Reese: The Future of Athlete Cultural IP

At just the beginning of her professional journey, Angel Reese embodies the future of athlete-led IP. Once dubbed the “Bayou Barbie” during her transition from college to the pros, she’s already leveraging a persona that’s equal parts athletic dominance and cultural resonance. What makes her different is how she leans into her distinctiveness: her style, her unapologetic voice, her authenticity. For Reese, IP isn’t an afterthought; it’s the foundation for partnerships, media ventures, and business extensions. She’s not just signing deals, she's proactive about building brand IP that can evolve alongside her career.

Reese is emerging-cultural IP.

A Real-Time Scenario: Angel Reese & “MEBOUNDS”

The origin of Angel’s trademarking and merch activation of “MEBOUNDS” shows exactly how cultural moments can be transformed into intellectual property. After a fan used the phrase online to taunt her, Angel Reese flipped the script: instead of ignoring it or letting the ridicule stick, she trademarked the term and immediately released merchandise around it. And sales were successful (see here)

What began as online trolling became a brand moment; one that showcased Reese and her team’s savvy in turning criticism into commerce. By approaching it as IP, she ensured that MEBOUNDS would no longer be a joke at her expense but rather an asset she can potentially own & control.

This move underscores how today’s athletes, especially Gen Z athlete stars who are nurturing their brands in the NIL-era, are redefining the relationship between culture and commerce. Reese is proof of how quickly an athlete can reclaim the narrative, leverage fan culture, and use IP as a tool of empowerment. This is the future of IP.

If you’re an athlete, entertainer or cultural leader looking to identify or expand your IP, that’s the work we do at Champion Strategies. Reach out to explore how to turn your influence into ownership at [email protected]!

***If you liked this issue, you might enjoy the thematic Champion Takes newsletter series “Platforms and Personas”. This series covers Talent who build and design Platforms—creating sustainable value for themselves and the brands and properties who partner with them. 

Catch up with the series here. 

Thanks for reading this week!

Arlesha