RICHARD BRANSON: ‘Social justice is good for business’

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“Social justice is good for business,” according to Virgin Group founder Richard Branson.

The entrepreneur is the charismatic force behind themultibillion-dollar conglomerateVirgin Group, which includes an airline, a cellphone company, a hotel chain, and a commercial space enterprise, among others.

“Inequality is probably the biggestprohibitorthat we face to creating a sustainable and equitable future for all of us,” he said in a video posted on Virgin’s website, citing his last trip to Africa and discussing how Virgin is helping to put solar panels onto people’s roofs.

Branson is among the 100 “Creators” Business Insider recently listed who are dedicated to running businesses that make the world a better place. That ethos is also explored in “The Price of Profits,” our ongoing series in collaboration with NPR’s “Marketplace,” in which we investigate topics ranging from the history of shareholder value to Wall Street’s impact on companies like IBM.

Along with Branson, several public figures including musician Elton John and writer Gloria Steinem have also posted videos as part of the Ford Foundation’s #InequalityIs campaign.

“The businesses that really do good – like Unilever, TOMS, I like to think Virgin, and many others – their brands become stronger, people identify with them better, and therefore the business itself does better,” Branson said.

Watch for yourself: