On her Web site bio, Oelwang asks where else in the world would she be able to get the chance to be part of changing the world for the better ... and get to work with "a crazy man with a beard who never accepts the unacceptable?"

Take, for example, the hardcore nature of business. Branson says: "Business people, we think, can play quite a big part in tackling a lot of these [social] problems and so we have been looking at getting a business group together, people who have already made a big difference ... maybe even change the rules slightly. A company's current rule is simply profit motive. I mean 100% bottom line if you are a public company, that's really the only criteria. Should a business group of leaders look at it and just change it, just tilt it slightly differently?"

The simple "it" Branson is speaking of is the framework for business as we know it today: the money, the earnings, the distribution of wealth. Pure capitalism. Bringing people and the planet into the mix isn't easy. But he'll try. And he'll have an impact. That's what Branson does best: He gets things heard.

In terms of effect, Virgin Unite is having it. The Branson Centers are churning out social entrepreneurs by the dozen, training them and guiding them to grow their businesses and employ others at the community level and beyond. The Carbon War Room is onto new types of clean fuels that foster climate change solutions and business efficiencies. (An interesting statistic is that airlines only have 1,700 fueling stations so "once you've actually got enough supply of fuel, it will be quite quick to turn the airline industry into the first self-sufficient industry in the world," Branson says.) The Elders are raising awareness about human rights issues from Syria to Sudan. And groups like WildAid, part of the Gaia Rocks campaign, are stomping out the poaching of endangered species such as rhinos in Africa (killed for their horns) and whale sharks in the Caribbean (killed for their fins) among many others.

Branson doesn't have to work as hard as he does or get involved in as many things as he does. He could sit on his private island and chill. But I can see why he lives his life the way he goes about it: It's fun. There is no difference among work, philanthropy and pleasure. It's all the same. They mix and match and turn out good times and good profits. More and more this also means more good for the world, too.

Branson's Brand Of Social Entrepreneurs
One of the more intriguing ventures Sir Richard Branson has created is the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship. It has operations in South Africa and Jamaica and it trains young social entrepreneurs to grow and prosper.

This is important work in the developing world, where capital, of both the human and financial variety, is scant. Yet with these emerging markets and entrepreneurs lies the biggest opportunity for global economic growth.

The International Finance Corporation reports there is between $2 trillion and $2.5 trillion worth of opportunity through social entrepreneurs in the developing world. That means there are millions of businesses representing that much capital waiting to be born. And that is what the Branson centers are trying to help spawn.

It does this through business training programs that provide access to a community of mentors, role models, industry experts and business networks, as well as facilities and online resources. There is ongoing support and advice to help entrepreneurs grow businesses efficiently and effectively.

Here's how it works: Entrepreneurs apply to the center (www.bransoncentre.org)-up to 20 are chosen after interviews and vetting-and they take a 12-week course. At least one day per week is onsite.