American producer and author Andy Cohen was born in 1968 in Missouri. Today, Cohen is best known as the host of the Bravo series Watch What Happens: Live, but long before he rose to become the first openly gay host of a late-night talk show in the United States, Cohen grew up in the St. Louis area, with initial plans to pursue a career in broadcast journalism.

After graduating from Boston University, Cohen first went to work at CBS News, where he remained for nearly a decade, rising to become producer of the network’s shows The Early Show, CBS This Morning, and 48 Hours. By the turn of the millennium, Andy had started to produce for the Bravo network, earning an Emmy Award for Executive Producer of Outstanding Competitive Reality Series (for Top Chef), and eventually launching his late-night talk show, Watch What Happens: Live. In 2015, Cohen began hosting RadioAndy on the SiriusXM network, and one year later he founded Andy Cohen Books, through which he releases his various publications.

Today, Andy Cohen regularly appears on programs such as Today, Morning Joe, The View, and Live! with Kelly. Alongside Anderson Cooper, Cohen has also toured the nation with the duo’s foundation, AC2, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for LGBTQ causes. His most recent book, Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries, arrived in 2016.

American entrepreneur Bill Rancic was born in 1971 in a Chicago suburbs, and grew up in the Orland Park area of the city. After graduating from Loyola University Chicago, Rancic worked in a variety of business industries before auditioning for the first season of Donald Trump’s reality competition, The Apprentice. Rancic ultimately went on to win the competition, and the first reality television star to endure the interview and hiring process on national television.

Rancic’s first work for Trump consisted of overseeing the construction of Chicago’s Trump Tower. He then went on to manage one of Trump’s golf courses in California to finish out his one-year employment contract as Trump’s “apprentice.” Ultimately, at the end of the year, Rancic decided to remain with the Trump Organization, although he did embark on a number of other business ventures outside of the organization.

In addition to his work for Trump, Bill Rancic has hosted the television show In the Loop with iVillage; hosted the A&E reality show We Mean Business; and founded his own production company through which he produces a number of news programs. Rancic has also authored three nonfiction books (You’re Hired: How to Succeed in Business and Life from the Winner of the Apprentice, 2004; Beyond the Lemonade Stand, 2005; and I Do, Now What? Secrets, Stories, and Advice form a Madly-in-Love couple, 2010.)

Most recently, Bill Rancic began hosting Kitchen Casino for the Food Network; the show features chefs in competition over casino-themed challenges. Rancic’s first fiction novel, First Light, was recently published in 2016.

The television personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel was born in 1970. Frankel spent her teenage years growing up in Florida; after graduating from high school in Fort Lauderdale, Bethenny enrolled at the Natural Gourmet Institute and then later at New York University.

Bethenny’s foray into the world of entertainment was at first behind the scenes; she worked as a production assistant on television shows such as Saved by the Bell. She then rose to finalist on the competition The Apprentice: Martha Stewart, in 2005, and in 2008, she joined the cast of the Real Housewives of New York City. Frankel joined the cast for the first season and remained with the show through season three; she later returned for seasons seven and eight. In 2010, Frankel starred in the Bravo series Bethenny Getting Married?, which followed her journey to motherhood and marriage for one season.

Although Bethenny rose to prominence as a cast member of Real Housewives, she became even more well-known with the publication of her book, Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting. The book was a sensation, and launched not only addition books and exercise DVDs, but also the SkinnyGirl cocktail company, which ultimately sold for an estimated one hundred million dollars.

Today, Bethenny Frankel is one of the most personally successful cast members of the Real Housewives franchise. Frankel most recently appeared as a competitor on the Food Network’s competition, Beat Bobby Flay. Her most recent book, I Suck at Relationships So You Don’t Have To, was published in 2014.

The star of the hit television reality show “Man vs. Wild,” known as “Bear” Grylls, was born Edward Michael Grylls in 1974 in County Down, Northern Ireland. Grylls spent most of his childhood growing up on the Isle of Wight, and from a very young age he was an outdoorsman and thrill seeker. He learned to sail while still in elementary school, and by the time he was a teenager he was skydiving.

At Eton College, where he pursued a degree in Hispanic Studies, he helped the institution found its first mountaineering club. Between his graduation and debut of Man vs. Wild, Grylls embarked on dozens of highly publicized adventures, including: a circumnavigation of the UK, an unassisted crossing of the Atlantic in an inflatable boat, a paramotoring expedition over the Himalayas, a climb of a previously uncharted Antarctican peak, and an expedition of the ice-covered Northwest Passage.

Some of these endeavors, such as the paramotoring expedition over the Himalayas, were broadcast on various networks, including the Discovery Channel, leading to worldwide notoriety. In 2006, the network launched Bear Gryll’s first series, Man vs. Wild, based on his UK series Born Survivor: Bear Grylls. Additional shows and specials since the start of Man Vs. Wild include: Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls, Escape from Hell, The Island with Bear Grylls, and Running Wild with Bear Grylls, which features celebrities accompanying Bear on a two-day trip into the wild. Grylls also frequently appears on such television programs as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and The Tonight Show.

In addition to his television work, Bear Grylls has also authored multiple books, including his autobiography, Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography. Most recently, Bear Grylls launched his CITV series Bear Grylls Survival School. Grylls is also a motivation speaker for schools, churches, and corporations throughout the world.

Philanthropist, businesswoman, and author Aviva Drescher was born in 1970 in New York City, right in the heart of Manhattan. Today, Drescher is best known as a former cast member of the television series The Real Housewives of New York City, but even before she joined the cast, Aviva was an accomplished academic and businesswoman, boasting a Bachelors of the Arts from Vassar College, a Masters Degree from New York University, and even a Juris Doctor.

In 2012, producers from the Bravo network invited Aviva Drescher and her family to join the cast of The Real Housewives of New York City, the network’s second installment in the “real housewives” franchise. The Drescher’s joined the show for seasons five and six, and Aviva quickly became one of the show’s most ambitious and successful housewives.

Avria Drescher’s determination goes back to her childhood, when a tragic accident left her with an amputated left leg. Despite her challenges growing up, or perhaps because of them, Drescher is committed to a life dedicated to service and contribution, overseeing organizations which provide services for amputees and cancer victims and serving as a National Spokesperson for One Step Ahead. On The Real Housewives of New York City, viewers enjoyed an opportunity to observe Aviva’s endeavors in these areas, alongside her husband Reid H. Drescher and their four children, Hudson, Harrison, Veronica, and Sienna.

Although Aviva Drescher and her family no longer appear on the show, Aviva continues to make public appearances and to pursue her philanthropic and business endeavors. Aviva most recently published her memoir, Leggy Blonde, which arrived in 2014.

American television personality and DJ Audrina Patridge was born in 1985 in Los Angeles, California. Long before Patridge rose to fame as one of the cast members of the television series The Hills, she grew up in Yorba Linda, launching a career as a model and actress at a very young age. Patridge’s first gig, in the MTV reality series The Hills, has launched a career which has since brought Audrina to the big screen, and now most recently, also into the club scene as a celebrity DJ.

Following The Hills, Audrina Patridge appeared in a handful of films, including Sorority Row (2009), Honey 2 (2011), and Scary Movie 5 (2013), but her biggest career boost came after her appearance on Dancing with the Stars in 2010, paired with Tony Dovolani. The couple finished the show in seventh place, but Audrina became a fan favorite on the show, giving her career a bit of a boost.

Most recently, Audrina Patridge has joined the circle of ever-growing celebrities DJ’s, performing at some of the worlds most famous clubs in locations such as Aruba, Las Vegas, and Miami. Her reputation as a DJ continues to grow positively, and she is scheduled to appear at a number of events throughout the remainder of 2015 and into 2016. When she’s not DJ-ing, Audrina Patridge hosts 1st Look, the NBC late night travel series which explores regional cuisine, culture, and nightlife in a variety of areas.

Financial advisor Anthony Lombardi accumulated his wealth first through his investments and work in the restaurant industry. Although he had reached a high measure of success in the culinary world, and was on the surface “living the dream,” something about the demands of his businesses left him feeling somewhat hollow; Lombardi began to look for ways to reverse his priorities to create a higher quality of life, and thus an entire system of coaching was born.

Today, Lombardi not only runs his businesses more efficiently (instead of allowing them to “run” him, as he frequently states), and he also coaches others to do the same. As one of the top financial coaches of the modern era, Anthony Lombardi teaches others how to develop strategic, integrated relationships with Centers of Influence (COI), creating what he calls the “Perfect Client System.” Lombardi is a frequent motivational speaker and holds three-day seminars to teach other men and women his business technique to help improve quality of life.

Reality show star and fashion designer Angela Simmons was born in 1964 in the Queens borough of New York City. As one of the daughters of Joseph Simmons (better known as Rev. Run), Angela grew up in the entertainment world and rose to prominence as a cast member on her father’s reality television series, Run’s House, for the MTV network.

Angela made her first appearance on the show when it debuted in 2005, alongside her siblings Russell Simmons II, JoJo Simmons, Diggy Simmons, Miley Simmons, and Vanessa Simmons. The show ran for six seasons, after which time Angela appeared in the spin-off series Growing Up Hip Hop, but even as a teenager she demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit and interest in charting her own path in the entertainment and fashion world.

Although she didn’t complete her studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, in 2007, Angela launched her own footwear line, Pastry Footwear, with sister Vanessa. A few years later, she appeared in Bow Wow’s video for Shortie Like Mine, but within a short period of time Simmons had returned to the fashion industry, this time in print, as the editor for Angela’s Rundown, a monthly magazine targeting fashion, music, and style for teenagers.

Most recently, Angela Simmons launched a faux fur line of clothing, her first solo design line. Foofi and Bella, as it’s called, debuted in 2015 and Angels continues to design for the label. She also continues to appear on the reality show Growing Up Hip Hop, now wrapping its second season.

Third-generation Alaska fisherman and star of the reality series Deadliest Catch Andy Hillstrand was born in Homer, Alaska. Hillstrand grew up in a family of fishermen, and even today in his mid-40’s he boasts more than three decades of experience at sea. He and his brother were essentially born into the industry, and by the time of their television debut, had both clocked thousands of hours aboard the family shipping vessels.

Andy and his brother’s lives changed when in 2005, the Discovery Channel launched its new reality series, Deadliest Catch. The series explores the real lives of the men and women aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea, vessels designed to hunt crab. Shot in the port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska and on the actual vessels, the show gets its name from the fact that this line of work frequently results in the highest rates of injury and death.

Hillstrand and his brother were invited to join the cast of Deadliest Catch in 2006, starting the show’s second season. Now twelve seasons later, the duo appears on the show in command of their sea vessel, Time Bandit; the show chronicles their experiences during the snow crab, bairdi crab, and Alaskan king crab fishing seasons in October and January. Today, Deadliest Catch today airs in over two hundred countries and is one of the Discovery Channel’s most popular showsm and the Hillstrand brothers are fan favorites on the show.

In addition to their extensive and dangerous work aboard the Time Bandit, Andy and his family manage their various Time Bandit businesses – Time Bandit Productions and Time Bandit Entertainment – and also Time Bandit Fireworks, Time Bandit Spirits, and Time Bandit Gear Store. Andy Hillstrand also enjoys writing and playing music; his original songs, “Fishing Man’s Life” and “Ode to Phil,” are both available for purchase on iTunes.

Two-time Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman was born in 1994 in Needham, Massachusetts. Today, Raisman is best known as one of the “fierce five” of the U.S. women’s Olympic gymnastic team, the team that captured America’s hearts in 2012 in London. But long before she rose to become one of the most recognizable figures in the sport, Aly fell in love with gymnastics at first through her mother, who herself was a high school gymnast.

And so it was little surprise that Aly’s mom gave her plenty of opportunity to experiment with the sport, starting when she was just a toddler. By the time she was in her mid-teens, she had already placed at events such as the American Classic in San Diego; the U.S. Classic In Des Moines; the National Championships in Dallas; and the Junior Pan American Championships in Aracaju, Brazil. The two years before the 2012 Olympics saw Raisman complete globally, bringing the American team to a gold medal at the Pacific Rim Championships in Melbourne and rising to become team captain at the 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

By late 2011, Aly had decided to relinquish her college scholarship and instead pursue a career as a professional athlete. In the months leading up to the Olympics, Raisman competed at dozens of worldwide competitions, placing second and third in nearly all of them. Her experience during this time was documented in the Comcast SportsNet film Aly Raisman: Quest for Gold. At the Olympics in 2012, Aly won gold and bronze medals, becoming the most decorated American gymnast at the competition that year. She returned for the 2016 Olympics, and alongside teammate Gabby Douglas became one of the only Americans to win back-to-back team gold medals in any sport.

Most recently, Aly appeared on Dancing With the Stars as a contestant for the show’s sixteenth season. Performing with two-time champion Mark Ballas, Aly finished the competition in fourth place.