I’m not sure what I expected to find when I walked into a ballroom in the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on a recent afternoon, but I can assure you I wasn’t anticipating a sweet blast of inspiration. In the face of constant headlines of populist anger and rising panic during our nation’s economic downturn, here was a collection of spirited, creative, hardworking people whose own stories came through in their companies.

The occasion that brought me to the middle of Broadway on a bustling weekday was called “Celebrity Connections & Good Causes Media Event.” It was essentially an opportunity for companies to market their products and services. And while it was wonderful to chat with Olivia Newton-John about her innovative pink and purple, heart-shaped product called Liv Aid (it makes breast self-examination more effective!), what struck me as I moved from table to table was the positive energy and stories of lesser known entrepreneurs.

Take Ellen Kozub, for instance. She is the founder of a company called The First Move that encourages people to “join the global community cultivating kindness and generosity, one t-shirt, one person at a time.” The signature line on the shirts is, “May all beings be happy beginning with you and me” and the words surround a drawing of a peace warrior who looks like a Buddha with a heart-shaped body.

“That little charcoal drawing came out of me 30 years ago,” Kozub said. “Then in 2005 I was at an outdoor concert in Tucson following four days of teachings with the Dalai Lama. [The Tibetan flutist] Nawang Khechog recited the Four Immeasurables of Buddhism and the first is ‘May all beings be happy and know the causes of happiness.’ I turned to my husband and said, ‘may all beings be happy beginning with you’ and it was like an electric current went through me.”

The line and the drawing came together in her mind and a company was born. It donates $2 from each shirt to Doctors Without Borders, Heifer International, Grameen Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

“We wanted to support groups that help people become self-sustaining in their personal lives and communities,” Kozub said.

That theme also came up when I spoke to Erin Gorman, the U.S. CEO of Divine Chocolate.

“The farmers of cocoa in Africa, they see themselves as people who can change their own stories,” Gorman said. “They don’t need charity. They need to be empowered. They can make change for themselves.”

And so the farmers of Kuapa Kokoo (a cooperative of 45,000 members) in Ghana supply the cocoa for each bar of Divine and they get paid a Fair Trade price for their beans, a share of the profits and a say in the company. In addition, they receive a social premium that the cooperative invests in schools, clean drinking water, medical clinics and women’s entrepreneurship projects.

“Change starts with chocolate,” touts Divine’s promotional buttons.

Now that’s change I can get behind. What is it about that word? I was floored by how many women I spoke to had businesses inspired by their strong desire for change.

A highlight of the afternoon was connecting with Vicki Tashman, founder of Pink-Link, a free online breast cancer support network that connects survivors so they can share stories and advice. In her own experience beating breast cancer, she found a void and decided to fill it using the power of the Internet.

“Until there’s a cure, there’s Pink-Link,” Tashman said. “We want to empower women with breast cancer in healthy survivorship.”

And speaking of making a tough time a little easier to bear, there are dearjohnnies hospital gowns, the invention of Rachel Zinny. While some patients buy them for happy occasions like when they’re preparing to give birth –Zinny’s actual inspiration came from her own experience with having children – the gowns bring whimsy to less desirable hospital stays. It was almost heartbreaking to see a small gown with fire engines all over it, but imagine how a suffering little one might light up because of it.

At a nearby table, Shannan Murray was surrounded by colorful artwork -- on all kinds of products, including Christopher Radko Christmas ornaments -- that was all done by children through the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Children’s Art Project based in Houston. Among the programs funded by the sales of the products are summer camps, ski trips and scholarships.

“Everything we do is about them going on with their lives,” Murray said.

Again I was hearing the resounding themes of empowerment and change.

Even those who simply want to wear their desire for change have conscientious options. Me to We makes shirts that say “Be the change,” its products are made using eco-friendly fabrics and 50 percent of its profits go to Free The Children, the world’s largest network of children helping children through education in 45 countries.

I leave you with a thought that pretty much sums up my afternoon and can be found on a T-shirt made by EmpoweringStuff:

Let it begin with Me.

Nancy Colasurdo is a practicing life coach and freelance writer. Her Web site is www.nancola.com. Please direct all questions/comments to FOXGamePlan@gmail.com.