About TheTension.AI

The Founders

Michael Quinn

Brand AI Strategy & Source Intel

After 20 years leading strategy and creative teams for premium brands, Michael recognized that agentic commerce would expose a critical vulnerability: brands losing control of the external sources that validate their positioning.

While others focused on AI productivity tools, Michael built methodology to systematically map which sources AI agents trust when making product recommendations—and how brands can establish authority within those sources.

Michael brings:

  • 20+ years in brand strategy and creative leadership across luxury, hospitality, and tech

  • Founder experience scaling CreativeFeed from bootstrap to $20M revenue

  • Daily immersion: custom research stack processing 50+ AI papers and articles to produce the Brand AI Report newsletter

  • Teaching faculty for the Association of National Advertisers

  • Google Generative AI Leader certification

  • Executive education at Wharton and Kellogg

Based in Paris with deep experience across US, UK, and EU markets.

Elizabeth Pearce, Esq

Legal Governance & Executive Advisory

Betsy brings 25+ years of legal and strategic counsel to founder-led businesses and global luxury brands. A graduate of Brown University and Columbia Law School, she began her career with a clerkship in the Southern District of New York and at Cravath, Swaine & Moore.

As founder of Pearce LLP, Betsy has represented creative founders in company sales and negotiated engagements as Creative Director at more than 20 European luxury houses and international brands.

Career highlights:

  • Represented Alexander McQueen in sale to Gucci Group

  • Served as Director of Balenciaga

  • Advised Jimmy Choo management team in Labelux's $800M acquisition

What Betsy brings:

  • 25+ years in M&A, IP, and employment law for creative businesses

  • Deep expertise in luxury brand governance and founder transitions

  • Columbia University Coaching Certification

  • Experience bridging creative vision and financial value

Fluent in French, operating between New York and Paris.

Why This Matters Now

87% of AI agent browsing is product-focused. Agents are actively researching and building recommendations—learning which brands to trust in your category.

Traditional search volume is projected to fall 25% by 2026 while agent-driven commerce accelerates. The brands that establish authority in the sources agents trust will shape recommendation patterns as transactions scale.

This is the strategic window.

Competitors establishing presence after these patterns solidify face higher barriers—agents will have already learned which sources validate category authority.

If you’re feeling the tension, let's schedule a call.

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