December is traditionally a time for giving, which suits social entrepreneurs just fine. Social entrepreneurs come in many shapes and sizes, for-profit, not-for-profit, or a hybrid approach. However, all share a common objective: to improve social conditions or to solve environmental problems using best business practices.

Ashoka International defines social entrepreneurship on its website: "Just as entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss and improving systems, inventing new approaches and creating solutions to change society for the better."

For Lisa Gautier, president of Matter of Trust, a 501c3 charity, the distinction between a social entrepreneur and any other entrepreneur is as much a matter of personal philosophy as anything else. "Real social entrepreneurs have a lot of trust. It's the opposite of entrepreneurialitis," Gautier says. "Entrepreneurialitis does not share a sense of community. It's, 'I have this great idea. Don't steal it from me.'"

For Gautier, being a real social entrepreneur means letting go of the idea that she is the only one who can get the job done and trusting in the excellence of those around her to carry the ideals of her organization forward.

Matter of Trust, which began in 1999, consists of several programs and is perhaps best known for its oil spill hair mats. Invented by hair stylist Phil McCrory, oil spill hair mats are made up of human hair, which absorbs all types of oil, including petroleum from oil spills. Gautier had heard about the hair mats in the 1990s and assumed that they were routinely used in oil spills. However, after an oil spill in the Galapagos, she was shocked to learn that others had never heard of the mats.

She contacted McCrory and began collecting hair to make mats for oil spills. Then in 2007, Gautier and others had a chance to put the mats to the test in their own backyard. "There was a large oil spill in San Francisco where we are based, so we physically went down to the beach with thousands of hair mats," Gautier says. Seemingly overnight, the hair mats went from being a "fun thing" to getting serious press.

The next challenge was what to do with the used mats. "Everyone left all of their oily hair mats in a pile," Gautier says. "People [from Fungi.com] came up and said they thought we could compost--make fertilizer--and sell it. We got all the permits in three days, which is unheard of, and we began to see if we could remediate. We started with mushrooms, then went on to use thermophillic composting and vermiculture."

Matter of Trust, however, isn't only about hair mats. "My charity is all about surplus," Gautier says. Reuse of Society's Abundance was Matter of Trust's first program. It matches recipients who need specific items with donors who have those items. The program has been so popular that Matter of Trust developed its own online database of donations and wish lists, called Excess Access.

Gautier intends to enlist the help of her husband, Patrice, an executive at Apple Inc., along with friends who are willing to volunteer their time to set up an online store. One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to Matter of Trust. After that? She envisions building an Ecoland, like Disneyland, complete with rides and activities that entertain people while educating them about "green" living and the environment. Gautier got the idea when she took her three daughters to the Magic Kingdom. "It will take getting a lot of great people together," she admits, "but it will bring a good economy to a new place." She wants to build the park in the United States to create "green" jobs here.

For others who are considering becoming social entrepreneurs, Gautier has this advice: "Get a good team of people around you. Look for excellent people, not people who are not as good as you. Orchestrate, don't boss. You want to make beautiful music, in harmony, that inspires. So just wave the baton and let them go."