Molly Katchpole, 23On a crusade since: 2011
Day job: Organizer for a nonprofit
Achievement: Launched online petitions leading to fee cancellations by major corporations
Why she's a hero: Job hunting in Washington, D.C., the 2011 college grad was irked by Bank of America's plan to charge $5 monthly for debit cards. Her anti-fee petition on Change.org got 100,000 signers within a week, drawing national attention; soon the bank gave up.
A later petition helped spur Verizon to drop credit card payment fees. Katchpole landed a job too -- lobbying for lower student-loan rates.
Quote: "I've been told I'm naive. But if we all say we can't make any difference, I guess we won't."
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