The sixth season of Bravo's hit series, Top Chef, is about to begin. This season's contestants are diverse, each having their own skills and unique histories. Here is an in-depth look at each of the chefs vying for the top spot, in two parts (check back tomorrow for the second half).Laurine Wickett Hope — Hope is the chef/owner of Left Coast Catering, a company that got its start bringing fresh and interesting cuisine to the high-power dinner parties of the Silicon Valley elite. Hope never used menus to impress her clientele, instead taking advantage of some of the best produce in the world and making different dishes for each occasion simply by finding the freshest ingredients from the market.Preeti Mistry — There are a lot of perks of working for Google. You have one of the coolest corporate campuses around, you get “recess” just like in elementary school, and you also get to eat tons of free food from Preeti Mistry. Mistry is the executive chef of Google’s cafeteria, and though to some that might seem a dead end for a chef, the cafeteria at the Googleplex is just different. Mistry is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in London and is known for integrating Indian flavors into many of her dishes.Ron Duprat — Ron Duprat has been an executive chef along the Gulf Coast for much of his career. He specializes in mixing the flavors of the Caribbean, the delicacy of France, and the cooking style of Asia into a delectable and original burst of flavor. Ron’s talent in spices should help him differentiate himself from the competition as Top Chef wears on.Hector Santiago — A native of Puerto Rico, Santiago is now the executive chef and owner of Pura Vida in Atlanta. Santiago specializes in Latin flavors, but integrates South American grilling techniques and a wise hand for spices and peppers to make his cooking truly unique. Santiago spends a lot of his time focusing on the process and experimentation of cooking. He works on taming flavors and bringing them together in new and different ways.Jesse Sandlin — A native of Baltimore, Sandlin is one of the few chefs this season who has no cooking degree or training. Completely self taught, Sandlin was inspired to get into the restaurant business while working at Paragary’s Restaurant Group in California. She currently is the Executive Chef at Abacrombie Fine Foods, an exploration into European Cuisine with a twist. Sandlin is known for using fresh seasonal ingredients to create food that spans culture and nationality.Jennifer Carroll — Jennifer Carroll got her start in the kitchen in California as a sous chef at Julia and Cafe Kati in San Francisco. After great success on the west coast, Carroll returned to her hometown of Philadelphia to work at Sonoma and Aroyo Grill, helping create one of the most popular dining experiences in Philadelphia. After a year at Arroyo Grill, Carroll took a job at Le Bernadin in New York, Eric Ripert’s famed restaurant. Since then she has taken the position of Chef de Cuisine at 10 Arts, Ripert’s new restaurant at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia. Carroll’s diversity of experience in the kitchen should prove to be her secret weapon this season.Robin Leventhal — An artist, a teacher, and a chef, Robin Leventhal is a jack of all trades. She is a self taught chef, and was formerly the owner and executive chef at Crave, a popular restaurant in Seattle. Leventhal’s cooking is rooted in the pacific northwest, with spices from her adventures around the world.Ash Fulk — Fulk, a San Francisco Bay Area local, got his start cooking in a small restaurant in Oakland. Since then this small time, self taught chef has moved from small kitchens to the lower west side of Manhattan. Fulk is now the Sous Chef at Trestle on Tenth, a popular restaurant near the Chelsea Piers.Look for part 2 of this post tomorrow where we'll give you the scoop on the rest of the contestants.Photo credit: Bravo