We want to find a Virgin at OSU: An Open Letter to Sir Richard Branson
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 2:49PM 
Dear Mr. Branson,
Last evening, the principals of IM Creative had the pleasure of addressing a group of young entrepreneurs at The Ohio State University's Business Builder's Club, the University's entrepreneurial organization for future leaders of business and industry.
It was a frigid evening in Columbus, but nearly 50 students came out to hear us speak on the virtues of the live experience, risk-taking, the rush of being in a room where anything can happen. As expected, anything did happen. You came up. And the context in which you came up seemed worthwhile enough that we should post this blog in the hopes it might reach you.
The students at OSU aren't just smart people - they are smart people who seek to make a difference in the world. These entrepreneurs, in particular, are seeking to turn their intellect and idealism into action through their club's work on an initiative called Alleviating Poverty Through Entrepreneurship. The initiative holds an annual event in which thought leaders from around the globe descend upon the OSU campus and put their collective brainpower together to find actionable solutions to the issues of poverty that plague our world.
The students know that this cause is one that is close to your own heart, and have spent the last several months trying to find ways to reach out to your charitable foundation to find some way to involve you in the event. As they discussed the efforts with me, the cynical event pro in me started to think of all the reasons these young people were barking up an unrealistic tree in hoping that your organization would lend your name and endorsement to their nonetheless worthy cause. But something shifted within me. As President Obama's State of the Union address echoed in the background with the sentiment that America needs a chance, I realized that these young people need a chance too. Their unashamed optimism had a genuine real effect on me.
As you know, Mr. Branson, no one ever achieves anything if they don't think big and put the naysayers out to pasture where they belong. These young business people aren't afraid to think big, and they are doing so not with an eye toward how it benefits them, but rather how it can benefit others. My company values this altruism highly - we feel strongly enough about it that we take every opportunity to mentor and provide examples of both professional success as entrepreneurs and as individuals whose own government refuses to recognize our rights. We wanted to convey the message that even though the world can sometimes be hostile or cold, it can also be rewarding and fulfilling. Last night at OSU, the students of the Business Builders Club taught us that lesson.
We know you're a busy man, and that your office recieves thousands of requests every month to get your stamp of approval in the name of a good cause, and I understand that you simply cannot respond to all of them. But you must respond to some. Goodness should be rewarded, and these young people and the cause for which they are fighting deserve to have their optimism and altruism rewarded. So if you could consider a note, a message, a tweet... anything to give them the encouragement to keep on doing what is right, the dividends could reach far beyond any other investment you may have made in your lifetime.
A huge thank you to Carol, Michael, Andrew, David, Mike, Logan, Trevor, Steve, Rui, and all the OSU students we met at the BBC meeting. You've certainly rewarded us through your message, and I hope that our message is as rewarding to you.
Mr. Branson, if you're listening, you can reach the BBC on twitter at @OhioStateBBC or on the web at businessbuildersclub.org. And even if you're not listening, I hope someone out there is, and that this letter reminds you, just like we were reminded, that in a cruel world there is still reason to be optimistic.
Sincerely,
IM Creative
Reader Comments (5)
As one of the BBC members you met last night I would just like to say thank you for taking the time to teach some aspiring entrepreneurs a few of the things you've learned. Aside from how much I enjoyed your presentation, I am so impressed that you took it upon yourselves to write this post for our cause. It shows the power of the cause we're working for that you have fought the inner "cynical event pro". Thank you for your support. You're welcome back to OSU anytime.
Great post! Let's get this going around our networks. APTE is a great event and it is awesome that you guys wrote this post. Slight nit-picky thing: In the second sentence of the second paragraph, it says "anthing" instead of "anything."
Just wanted to get that fixed for when it reaches Virgin. Thanks!
Thanks Ben!
Very nice way to help your students. I wish you could also share if ever Sir Richard responds to this. :)
If and when he does, I'll announce it to the world!