Derrick Roman

Age: 51
Hometown: Detroit
Cause: Financial literacy for children

As a 12-year-old in Philadelphia, Roman was so impressed by a CPA's career-day talk at his church that he switched his dream job from athlete to accountant. In 1987, at the accounting firm now known as PwC, he co-founded a mentoring program that tutored high school students via games, lessons and field trips. The PwC partner now leads the Detroit branch of the company's youth financial literacy program; under his watch, local employees' volunteer hours have doubled. Over 30 years, Roman's own charitable work has totaled nearly 10,000 hours.

Says Roman:

My parents made us share a bicycle, but they said we could go to any college we wanted. That's how they prioritized financially."