NBC has revealed the identities of the eighteen candidates who will be competing on The Apprentice 5, the upcoming fifth edition of the Donald Trump reality show that will premiere Monday, February 27 at 9PM ET/PT.
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In addition to the candidate that eventually gets hired, the The Apprentice's new season will also feature two more of The Donald's "apprentices" -- adult children Ivanka and Donald Jr. Appearing in several of the new season's episodes, 24-year-old Ivanka and 27-year-old Donald Jr. will become the latest folks to fill in for regular The Apprentice co-stars Carolyn Kepcher and George Ross when The Trump Organization executives are busy with other Trump business.
"It's triple the Trump this season on The Apprentice," gushed Trump. "I invited my children Don Jr. and Ivanka into the boardroom for several episodes this season and they take the firings to a whole new level."
Like last season, this season's The Apprentice candidates were "handpicked" by Trump, who -- as he typically does every season -- is touting the cast as the show's best ever. "I once again hand-picked this season's 18 candidates and this group is as smart and likable as season four but even more entertaining," said Trump.
Naturally, The Apprentice creator and executive producer Mark Burnett also agrees with his business partner. "Viewers clearly related to the cast of Season Four," added Burnett. "We received tremendous feedback about how smart, attractive and likeable they all were. The candidates on Season Five are cut from the same mold."
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However, more so than previous casts, The Apprentice 5's contestants will also feature an international flavor, with the cast including candidates from England, Canada, and the former U.S.S.R. "They are brilliant -- including our first-ever MENSA member -- hungry and more international than ever," said Burnett. Ranging in age between 22 and 38, the cast includes a psychotherapist, an appellate attorney, a sticker company owner, and candidates boasting degrees from schools including Harvard, Columbia Northwestern and Cornell University.
The eighteen contestants competing on The Apprentice 5 -- and their NBC-supplied profiles -- are:
 Allie Jablon, a 30-year-old medical sales manager from Columbia, SC
Allie Jablon graduated summa cum laude and No.1 in her class from the University of Florida. While maintaining a 4.0 GPA as a finance major in the honors program, she met the demands of her rigorous schedule as a Varsity Gator cheerleader. Allie developed her disciplined work ethic at an early age as an internationally competitive gymnast. Most recently, she furthered her education at Harvard Business School where she received her M.B.A. Previously a financial analyst in Miami, Allie transitioned into a sales career to capitalize on her passion for people and building relationships. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, she moved to Southern California where she works for a Fortune 500 medical device company. She is responsible for a multi-million dollar sales territory as a Market Development Account Manager. She is an avid sports fan and actively trades in the stock market. |
 Andrea Lake, a 31-year-old sticker company owner from San Diego, CA
Andrea Lake, a self-made multi-millionaire, enjoys creating business ventures on the frontiers of technology and popular culture. Not satisfied with a conventional path, Andrea skipped college and personally financed her first enterprise: Rhythm Styx, a wildly successful toy company. Driven by her early achievements, at age 23 Andrea started a clothing distribution company targeted at the burgeoning youth market. Since then, Andrea founded and is the CEO of five unique companies: StickerJunkie.com, an online customized sticker company; T-ShirtJunkie.com, an online customized t-shirt company; Delinquent Distribution, a distributor of hip teen apparel; Zoko, Inc., an online community connecting best-selling authors with their readers; and Luxury Wedding Packages, Inc., an online wedding planning service delivering one-of-a-kind wedding experiences to an upscale market. While she can often be found jetting around the globe, Andrea's main residence is in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she is active in local charitable causes, avidly practices yoga and takes long hikes with her three large dogs Empress, Elvis & Priscilla (all pound rescues). |
 Brent Buckman, a 30-year-old attorney from Fort Lauderdale, FL
Brent Buckman was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After graduating from York University in Toronto, Brent moved to Florida, where he attended law school at Nova Southeastern University. A Florida bar member, Brent currently juggles two jobs, working as an attorney for an insurance defense firm and handling real estate closings. A year and a half ago, Brent married his college sweetheart, Stephanie, and obtained his green card. |
 Bryce Gahagan, a 28-year-old home builder from Kansas City, MO
Bryce Gahagan, born and raised in Kansas City, MO, attended the University of Kansas. While in school, his real estate ambitions were born when he and his parents purchased two town homes and renovated them. After the completion of the projects, he realized he had no intention of ever using his Journalism degree. Bryce began working for Pulte homes in Kansas City, a fortune 500 residential builder, shortly following his graduation. It wasn't long before he wanted more, and then at age 24, with little money and no real experience co-founded a high-end residential building company. Four years later, the Gahagan - Eddy Building Company currently builds many of Kansas City's finest custom homes with most projects exceeding $1.5 million. Bryce attributes his success to his family and the values his parents instilled: honesty, integrity, and ambition. He believes what ever you choose to do in life, do it, but do it better than anyone else. |
 Charmaine Hunt, a 27-year-old real estate consultant from Nashville, TN
Charmaine Hunt, an only child, was born and raised in a small town in Kentucky. Her mother, an adventurous and hard-working Filipino immigrant who left everything to move to the U.S, has been a big influence on Charmaine. She earned a BA in Corporate Communications from Western Kentucky University, and after winning numerous awards for her leadership and public speaking, she moved to San Diego, where she began her career in marketing and advertising sales. She successfully brought in multi-million dollar clients, trained new employees, and structured long term pricing and contracts. Charmaine, the youngest on the sales team, consistently exceeded her sales goal by more than 200 percent, making her the No. 1 in sales for two consecutive years. She went on to Scottsdale for her next challenge in new business development with a mortgage firm. Charmaine now resides in Nashville, Tennessee where she is an area manager for a Fortune 500 Company. She works in warranty and risk-management consulting and is highly involved in the local real estate community. Whether she's driving the performance of the company or mobilizing an entire office to run a mini-marathon for charity, Charmaine has proven she knows how to get it done. |
 Dan Brody, a 31-year-old clothing company owner from Miami, FL
Dan Brody is the founder of Brody Sport, a designer brand of active-wear currently sold in prominent boutique shops and popular department stores. Dan has successfully launched several businesses during his entrepreneurial career beginning with a college venture, NYC Cafe "Grandma's Cookie Jar." This wholesale retail bakery boutique served as one of the earliest bakery suppliers for the city's Starbucks stores. Dan also owned YoCookie, a ready-to-bake cookie-dough brand shelved in more than 30 grocery stores even before "Grandma's Cookie Jar" was successfully sold. Dan's next venture was Swan Hat, one of the only "Made In The USA," headwear companies still in existence today. Swan Hat has a healthy department store base and the company's Straw Headwear division annually outfits the New York State Teachers Union - Labor Day Fifth Ave Parade, as well as other union parades and events throughout the country. Dan is passionate about religion and family and feels that you must make an exerted effort for those you love and give back to those in need. |
 Jose "Pepi" Diaz, a 25-year-old attorney from Miami, FL
Jose "Pepi" Diaz, a Cuban-American attorney from a top law firm in Miami, and former Florida College Student of the Year, is the first Hispanic to receive that distinction. Pepi was president of both his high school student body and the University of Miami's student government. He graduated from Columbia Law School where he received several honors including the American Bar Association's Law Student Division Silver Key. Pepi has traveled extensively throughout the world, including study trips abroad in France, Greece, and Argentina. In his spare time, he donates his efforts to help build homes for Habitat for Humanity and assists his community through various pro bono endeavors. |
 Lee Bienstock, a 22-year-old business analyst from Brooklyn, NY
Lee Bienstock graduated from Cornell University where he received a B.S. in Policy Analysis and Management. While attending Cornell University, he won business plan writing and marketing competitions, and served as a teaching assistant for courses in Entrepreneurship and Management. He worked for Merrill Lynch, researching emerging markets, creating portfolios and compiling business plans for high net worth clients, including an investment banking deal with an estimated value in excess of $100 million. Previous experiences outside of corporate America include, working at a day treatment program for the mentally ill, volunteering at soup kitchens and teaching fourth grade children in an inner-city school. Lee draws his inspiration from his grandfather who emigrated to the U.S. penniless and uneducated, yet through hard work and determination was successful through investing in real estate. At age 22, Lee became an analyst for one of the largest business/consulting firms in the world. Today, Lee works with some of the biggest companies and government agencies in the country to devise business strategy and information technology systems. Lee currently resides in New York City. |
 Lenny Veltman, a 37-uyear-old trading company owner from the former U.S.S.R
Lenny Veltman, originally born in Baku, a city in the former U.S.S.R., grew up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where he served in the Soviet Army for two years. At 24, Lenny left for the United States with his wife and child. Eager to start a successful business of his own -- but knowing no English -- Lenny built himself up from a janitor to the eventual owner of his own Russian restaurant. Lenny also became a stockbroker and achieved his Series 7 license after being in America for only two years. He now operates his own medical trading company. Lenny resides in New Jersey with his wife and sixteen year old son. |
 Leslie Bourgeois, a 28-year-old realtor from Houma, LA
Leslie Bourgeois graduated in 1999 with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, with an emphasis in public relations. She was awarded a full scholarship in the sport of volleyball to play in the SEC at the University of Mississippi. Leslie's success came early in life when she captured her first U.S. Swimming Championship Title for the state of Louisiana at age seven. She later captured the LHSA Tennis State Championship Title and competed in Division 1 level volleyball. Leslie, currently a multi-million dollar realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Boca Raton, has maintained a 100 percent closing transaction success rate throughout her career. Leslie is a member of the Boca Raton Junior League where she enjoys working with other women to make a difference in her community. She also participates in the Southern Palm Beach Women's Tennis Association's Open Level League. Leslie attributes the success throughout her life to her strong family foundation. |
 Michael Laungani, a 29-year-old management consultant from New York, NY
Michael Laungani, a Manhattan native with a diverse educational background including, graduating from the United Nations International School in New York City where he concentrated on economics and studied three languages. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, majoring in both Finance and Marketing. Following his studies, he joined Arthur Andersen's Business Consulting practice in Chicago, where he provided financial and operational management consulting services for Fortune 500 companies. He is currently a mergers and acquisitions consultant for one of the largest professional services firms in the country, assisting multi-million dollar companies with financial integration and development. When Michael is not working, he can be found thrill-seeking through snowboarding, wakeboarding and riding his motorcycle. |
 Roxanne Wilson, a 26-year-old appellate attorney from Austin, TX
Roxanne Wilson, an attorney at Winstead Sechrest & Minick, P.C., credits her parents -- both professors at Arizona State University -- with instilling the virtues of education in her at a young age. Moved by seeing Sandra Day O'Connor appointed as the first female U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Roxanne decided early on to pursue a career in the legal system. The Baylor University graduate earned her law degree from the University of Michigan. While studying law, Roxanne became a certified Jazzercise instructor and currently teaches three classes a week. Before going into private practice, Roxanne clerked for Justices Scott A. Brister and Craig T. Enoch of the Supreme Court of Texas. Roxanne serves on the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Austin Affiliate Board and is active in her Riverbend church choir and young professionals group. |
 Sean Yazbeck, a 33-year-old recruitment consultant from London, England
Sean Yazbeck, born and raised in London, now works as a director of business development for a recruitment consultancy registered on the London Stock Exchange, where he boasts the title of the top-ranking sales person globally at his firm. He graduated from the Southhampton Solent University with first class honors. Quickly snapped up by an international recruitment consultancy, Sean spent nine years brokering multimillion dollar deals with Fortune 500 companies in over 20 global locations. He earned the EB1 Green Card for "persons of extraordinary ability" in 2005. Sean resides in Miami. |
 Stacy Schneider, a 38-year-old criminal defense attorney from Long Island, NY
Stacy Schneider attended Cornell University with dreams of becoming a news reporter and graduated with a journalism degree. After a short stint covering court trials as a street reporter in Savannah, Georgia, Stacy decided she wanted to move from in front of the camera to the courtroom. Now a public defender in New York City, Stacy has passed the bar exam in Connecticut, Florida, California and New York. |
 Summer Zervos, a 30-year-old restaurant owner from Huntington Beach, CA
Summer Zervos, raised in Orange County, California, experienced her family's financial ruin during her teens. Led by her father's example, Summer's work ethic and determination were molded during this trying time. Regardless of her title, Summer vowed to be the best at any occupation. With no education, and often-earning minimum wage, Summer continuously gained the respect of her co-workers and superiors alike. Summer now owns Sunny's Restaurant in Huntington Beach, CA. Located on one of the most traveled streets in the county, the restaurant serves hundreds of locals and tourists daily. Summer thrives on the quality and efficiency of her business and is surrounded by employees who want the restaurant to succeed. |
 Tammy Trenta, a 33-year-old wealth manager from Edison, NJ
Tammy Trenta is the founder of Theresa Kathryn Enterprises, Inc, a company which designs stylish briefcases for women. She oversees every stage of the products' original creation from design to final marketing. Through Theresa Kathryn Enterprises, Tammy's goal is to continue to inspire women to excel in their chosen career paths while maintaining their femininity and individuality. Tammy, also a Vice President at a major Beverly Hills investment firm, advises California's most affluent and high profile clients on managing their finances. A Certified Financial Planner, Tammy is considered an expert in her field. Tammy earned her B.A. at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Arizona State University, where she represented Senator John McCain as a constituent liaison. She later returned to Arizona State University where she received her MBA. Throughout her schooling, Tammy has self-funded all of her education. She is an avid marathon runner, an experienced motivational speaker and enjoys writing poetry. |
 Tarek Saab, a 27-year-old hi-tech manager from New Bedford, MA
Tarek Saab, raised in the public housing projects and tenements of New Bedford, MA, is a wunderkind of sorts who credits his mother with fostering his desire to become more than his surroundings. After earning a scholarship to an elite boarding school in Mass., Tarek went on to receive a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. Anselm College and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Catholic University of America. In addition to being a member of MENSA, Tarek played rugby for the Dallas Harlequins of the U.S. Super League and rowed crew in the Henley Royal Regatta in England. He is currently a Global Product Marketing Manager at a Fortune 500 company. He is constantly closing multi-million dollar deals while traveling throughout Asia, Europe, and the U.S. In addition to his travels, Tarek has been widely published in technical journals and magazines around the world. |
