Ever wondered why Richard Branson has such a penchant for ludicrous sportswear?

It's possible that Mary Wittenberg was thinking the same thing when she opted to leave her job as CEO of the New York City Marathon organiser the New York Road Runners (NYRR) to lead Branson's sports participation start-up Virgin Sport in 2015.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Wittenberg covers:

- Branson's pitch to her and why she left NYRR;

- The purpose-driven mission of Virgin Sport and how it's tapping into the mass participation boom;

- The commercial opportunities associated with holding 'festivals of sport' in the UK and US;

- The organisation's goal to get people active, and how it starts with number one;

- Why Airbnb is a model organisation for people in the 'experience business';

- The factors fuelling the mass-participation boom, and the practitioners and applications offering something new.