OUR Story

I’m Bruce Waynne, Founder and CEO of IWP, and my journey as a creator is the foundation for why IWP exists.

Hip Hop, and its rich, diverse culture saved my life. It became the bridge between my creativity and capital.

Before I had access—or even the language for what I was building—I was already building it. I studied the blueprint of artists like RZA and Jay-Z, who turned rejection into leverage by owning their work and negotiating on their terms. That mindset has shaped everything I’ve done since.

I went on to become one half of the Grammy Award-winning production duo MIDI Mafia, working with artists including 50 Cent, Frank Ocean, Justin Bieber, John Legend, and Fantasia.

I co-founded and continue to own The Made Series, a hybrid record label and publishing company focused on building long-term, sync-ready music assets. Through a joint venture with Extreme Music (Hans Zimmer) and Sony Music Publishing, we scaled into a global licensing engine, becoming the leading provider of urban contemporary music for film and television, with clients like Netflix, Paramount, and Amazon.

As the business grew, I faced the same challenges many creators do—cash flow constraints and a search for deeper purpose. That led me into consulting and funding, where I helped artists access capital without giving up ownership. At Sound Royalties, I supported funding strategies for talent, while also helping distribute $5M–$10M annually in unclaimed royalties through the SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund.

I served as Vice President at Transparence Entertainment Group, driving growth in music rights and royalty distribution.

At the same time, I currently serve on two committees directly involved in how capital reaches creators. As a member of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) Unclaimed Royalties Committee, I help oversee the identification and distribution of unclaimed royalties—contributing to the return of over $200M to creators. On the loan committee for NorCal FDC, I review and support loan decisions within state-backed financing programs designed to drive job creation, including guarantees covering up to 80%—programs I’ve also personally utilized as a borrower.

These experiences reinforced a core truth: Creators are underrepresented small business owners.

At IWP, we’re changing that. We’re building financing pathways that allow creators to retain ownership, access non-dilutive capital, and scale globally. Because our intellectual property has value—and it should be recognized as such.

I’ve lived the uncertainty, the late nights, the breakthroughs, and the setbacks. I’ve also seen what happens when the right structure meets the right creator.

Every creator’s work is, at its heart, a form of storytelling. Storytelling is collaborative. We’re here to provide the financing and support that helps “Bring Stories To Life”..