Chatri Decides Final Two ‘Apprentice’ Candidates On Episode 11
Going into Episode 11 of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition,” the original 16 global candidates had been narrowed down to four.
And in a surprising turn of events, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that this week’s business challenge would result in a double elimination – leaving only two of the global bunch vying for the US$250,000 job offer to be his Chief Of Staff.
If you missed any of the high-stakes drama on the latest episode of “The Apprentice,” here’s what went down.
ONE Championship Event
Chatri invited Monica Millington, Irina Chadsey, Louie Sangalang, and Jessica Ramella to experience a ONE Championship event live at the Singapore Indoor Stadium – but not before the candidates were treated to a US$2,000 shopping spree at Hugo Boss.
Once dipped and dapper, the crew went to the stadium, where Chatri told them his story about starting ONE Championship and what he sacrificed in the process.
Afterward, they all went to the 665 Degrees Fahrenheit steakhouse for dinner.
Return To Team Challenges
In Episode 10 of “The Apprentice,” the group had to collaborate in the business challenge as the Dream Team. This time around, however, the final four were split into two pairs – Jessica and Louie as one pair, and Irina and Monica as the other.
Co-Advisor Niharika Singh then delivered the next business challenge, which consisted of using Twilio’s technology to improve the way NGOs connect with donors and volunteers.
Chatri also noted that there would be no Project Managers this time around, and this would not be a competition between the teams, but rather a competition to see which individuals shine the most.
Because the pairs were going to use Twilio’s technology in this challenge, Jeff Lawson – the company’s CEO – reminded the four to be impactful, creative, and simple in their approach.
LOVE, NILS
Jessica and Louie were matched with LOVE, NILS, a non-profit that provides families with knowledge, resources, and community support when their child has been diagnosed with cancer and/or needs treatment.
The duo’s idea was to create a chatbot that offers emotional support to children being treated for cancer. Louie, who previously won his bout with cancer, had convictions on the end result, which at times forced the two to bump heads.
But during their pitch, the duo shined. Jessica recounted the emotional story of how LOVE, NILS founder Lesli Berggren lost her son to cancer and vowed to help other families going through the same situation.
Louie then delivered the facts of how many children pass away each year from cancer, and then recalled his own story.
Toward the end of their presentation, the two introduced Claire, an AI chatbot that would connect cancer survivors with cancer patients to help ease the latter’s burden.
Habitat For Humanity
Monica and Irina, on the other hand, worked alongside Habitat for Humanity Singapore, whose mission is to eliminate poverty housing by building strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter.
“MoRina” had to improve the NGO’s donor communication strategy.
Irina began their pitch with a story of a single mother who cared for her disabled child but had trouble maintaining adequate housing. Monica then showed that Twilio is the perfect technology for donors and volunteers to connect with the people Habitat for Humanity helps.
The new process, they estimated, would add another 600 donors to the list every year.
They ended their pitch by showing how donors could become “brand champions,” and the pair received an applause from all of the Advisors.
Advisor Feedback
Episode 11 not only saw Twilio’s CEO join the Advisory Team, but also the appearance of ONE Group President Hua Fung Teh.
During feedback, Chatri felt that Monica and Irina did a solid job overall, but Jeff pressed the two to see if they could’ve thought of ways to get donors to become more loyal to the NGOs.
Hua Fung would’ve also liked to see Irina and Monica find ways to keep donors more emotionally attached.
And finally, Niharika thought the pitch was one of the strongest performances since the show started, but that “MoRina” could’ve done a better job connecting the technology with the humanity of the NGOs.
As for Jessica and Louie, Chatri thought they did an outstanding and authentic job but missed the financial aspect of their pitch. Meanwhile, Jeff simply loved the impact Jessica and Louie made.
Hua Fung even loved how Louie leveraged his personal experience in the pitch. Niharika, although won over, thought the plan needed success metrics.
Suddenly, in an attempt to thwart Jessica and Louie, Monica stepped in to call out the team’s lack of privacy with their proposed technology. But Jessica had already looked into it, and her rebuttal made Monica slink back into her chair.
No Easy Decision
After Chatri and Niharika thoughtfully deliberated over the pitches, the ONE Chairman and CEO called the final four global candidates into the boardroom.
“Why do you deserve to be my Chief Of Staff?” he asked them.
Monica said she deserves the spot because she doesn’t settle for anything less than greatness. Irina said she deserves it because of her ability to learn and grow with each business challenge.
Louie kept his answer simple, saying that his core values align with ONE’s, and Jessica, in a risky move, turned the question back on Chatri.
“Why don’t I deserve it?” she asked.
However, Chatri responded by telling Jessica that he has yet to connect with her, and he feels she tries to be too perfect but often explodes with emotion.
With that said, Chatri invited Louie to the finals because of his grit and PhD factor. He then invited Jessica because of her toughness, honesty, and passion.
Tune in to AXN next Thursday, 3 June, at 8:50 p.m. to catch all the drama on Episode 11 of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition.”