Brand & New Podcast
Turning Adversity into Opportunity: From Counterfeit Victim to Entrepreneur and IP Advocate
Published: November 11, 2026
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Guest
Rachel Jones Founder and Non-Executive Director of SnapDragon | Entrepreneur in Residence, Bayes Centre, University of Edinburgh Edinburgh, UK
Vision, resilience, and leadership are central to Rachel Jones’s story. An entrepreneur and business leader, she is the founder of SnapDragon, a UK-based brand protection technology business.
In this episode of Brand & New, hosted in collaboration with The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative, we explore Ms. Jones’s journey and celebrate women shaping the future of innovation and intellectual property (IP).
She speaks with Willard Knox, Editor-in-Chief of The Trademark Reporter, about how the difficulty of travelling with a toddler inspired her to create the portable highchair product TOTSEAT, and how her frustration at seeing it counterfeited led to the creation of SnapDragon.
Through SnapDragon, she has successfully built and scaled a technology company as a non-technical founder, raised over US $4 million in investment, became a leading advocate for IP rights, and inspired countless entrepreneurs through her commitment to innovation, mentorship, and leadership.
Ms. Jones’ influence extends far beyond the business world. She is currently Chair of the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group and Co-Chair of the UK Intellectual Property Office’s IP Crime Group. She is a volunteer coach and mentor for Smart Works, supporting women as they prepare for employment and new opportunities. She is also on the board of Glencraft, a social enterprise which manufactures luxury mattresses.
Today, as Entrepreneur in Residence for the AI Accelerator at the University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre, she continues to support the next generation of founders, helping entrepreneurs navigate growth, innovation, and leadership in an increasingly complex business landscape.
In a wide-ranging conversation, she discusses what she has learned by pivoting from running a baby product manufacturing business to setting up a technology company, and why IP and a sense of positivity have been critical at every stage of the process.
Related Resources
About the University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre
About the Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group
Recent and Related Brand & New Episodes
Advancing Women’s Leadership: From Intention to Impact
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Recent INTA Research for Intellectual Property Professionals
The Women’s LeadershIP Initiative Report and Best Practices Toolkit 2026 Update (INTA, March 2026)
Mapping Illicit Trade: Routes and Insights (INTA, June 2026)
About Brand & New
Our hosts discuss compelling business and legal topics relating to intellectual property, innovation, technology, and change with an international roster of influential experts and industry visionaries.
Brand & New guests contribute to this podcast in their personal capacity, and the opinions expressed (or experiences shared) are their own. They do not purport to reflect the views or opinions of INTA or our members.
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