Founder
Project Me Foundation Inc.
MASTER SELF • SERVE THE WORLD • LEAD THE FUTURE
MASTER SELF • SERVE THE WORLD • LEAD THE FUTURE
Helping young people put in the work and build a steadier future.
Meet Our Foundation Staff
Project Me Foundation Inc. is led by people with professional experience and deep community ties. Several also know firsthand what it takes to rebuild after difficult years.
Staff and board members set direction and manage the work behind the programs. They oversee budgets and curriculum. Event planning is part of that responsibility, as is making sure the foundation follows through on its commitments.
Select “Read Bio” beneath a name to learn more.
The people below share responsibility for the foundation’s direction and oversight. They also guide its programs and community relationships.
Christopher D. Naraine-El, also known as Reco Suave, founded Project Me Foundation Inc., a New York 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving young people across Oneida, Onondaga, and Herkimer counties through mentorship, violence prevention, and workforce development.
Born and raised in San Bernardino, California, he entered the juvenile justice system at 12 and later lived in foster care. He graduated from Boys Republic High School and left both systems at 18. The instability and peer pressure he experienced, especially without steady support, now shape how he works with young people facing similar circumstances.
After moving to New York, he joined the Moorish Science Temple of America, Inc., Subordinate Temple #10 in Syracuse. He later created Project Me Foundation to provide mentorship and early intervention, with practical life-skills and long-term support for youth moving through difficult transitions.
He is also a recording artist who performs as Reco Suave. His music has appeared in FOX-, NBC-, and CBS-affiliated media and in Jamsphere Magazine, and has reached tens of thousands of listeners across streaming platforms. He uses music as another way to connect with young people and talk honestly about identity and choices.
He has worked with organizations including the Chicano Elegance Foundation and with advocates J.J. Villar and Bob Walsh on youth empowerment and community alternatives to incarceration.
Today, he works as a public speaker, mentor, business owner, and father. His message to young people is rooted in experience: a hard beginning does not decide the ending, but changing direction takes work and accountability.
Jason Stephenson serves as Interim President of Project Me Foundation Inc. and helps shape programs that use discipline and creative work to support youth growth.
He grew up in unstable home environments and struggled with emotional control and behavior when he was young. Martial arts, art, reflection, and military service helped him build the discipline and resilience he now brings to the foundation.
Jason has spent more than 20 years making and releasing music as Cepheid Variable through platforms including Bandcamp, Beatport, and Apple Music. He has also contributed digital art and design work on DeviantArt and Behance.
He is largely self-taught in computer systems and Linux, along with a range of digital tools. That experience taught him patience and curiosity, especially when the first attempt fails.
At Project Me Foundation, Jason combines technical and creative experience with lessons from his own life. He encourages young people to understand themselves and stay with difficult work until practice builds confidence.
Sharif Anael-Bey serves as Vice President of Project Me Foundation Inc. and supports program direction and mentorship, with a strong focus on education.
He is a scholar and martial artist known in conscious and metaphysical communities for research into history, religion, and esoteric science. He founded Ali’s Men, a research and think-tank initiative focused on historical, spiritual, and philosophical systems.
Sharif also works in film as a writer, director, producer, actor, and action director/fight choreographer. His credits include ENUF, 211: Robbery in Progress, Basilio, When Dragons Awake, and My Asian Auntie: Yes Auntie. At the Urban Action Showcase and Expo, he has received awards for Best Action Choreography and Best Action Comedy.
He has held leadership roles with Finally Focused Films and has supported efforts to train and place minority talent in the film industry.
His lectures and discussions have included appearances alongside figures such as Billy Carson. At Project Me Foundation, he draws on scholarship, martial discipline, and film experience to push young people toward sharper thinking and better choices.
Sabrina Vedder serves as Executive Events Director for Project Me Foundation Inc. and supports event planning and operations while helping coordinate programs.
She grew up in New York in foster care, juvenile justice, and group-home settings, giving her firsthand understanding of the instability many participants face. She went on to build a career of more than 20 years in hospitality and events in New York and Las Vegas.
Her event experience includes work with Steve Aoki, Nicki Minaj, Snow Tha Product, Too Short, and Justin Bieber, as well as productions involving the Las Vegas Raiders and the iHeartRadio Music Festival.
Taj Smith serves as Special Programs Director for Project Me Foundation Inc., where he connects film and media work to mentorship and hands-on job preparation.
He is the founder and CEO of Finally Focused Films. His projects include Juug Gone Wrong, The Senate Documentary, 211: Robbery in Progress, and Young Gawdz. He has also worked in set design, camera operation, and production support across other productions.
His work has included projects connected to French Montana, Juelz Santana, and Swizz Beatz, with content reaching audiences on platforms such as Tubi.
Taj uses workshops and production work, backed by direct mentorship, to show young people what creative careers require. They learn to prepare, work with a team, and stay patient enough to finish.
Kamesha Graves, LPN, is a nurse director and community advocate with experience in patient care, clinical leadership, staff development, quality improvement, and healthcare compliance.
She serves as Nurse Director for Menorah Park’s Rothschild Adult Day Health Program, helping oversee clinical operations, multidisciplinary teamwork, regulatory standards, and patient engagement.
Her community service includes work with Delta Alpha Gamma Zeta Amicae of Onondaga County, LeadingAge, ARISE & Exceptional Family Resources, and advocacy related to lupus awareness, maternal wellness, mentorship, equity, and women in healthcare leadership.
Stacey M. Bailey is a community advocate, educator, consultant, nonprofit leader, and holistic wellness practitioner. Her work includes youth development, public health, environmental justice, maternal and child health, kinship advocacy, and community engagement.
She serves as a Healthy Community Specialist with LeadSafeCNY Coalition and founded The BFLY Initiative, Maiya B Kinship Justice Alliance, and Insightful Drip Consulting. She also owns Haus of Honey and Roots & Honey, where she brings herbal education and wellness practices into her work with individuals and families.
Across those roles, Stacey develops programs and partnerships that help people connect with useful support.
She serves as New York State Amicae Parliamentarian and has held leadership roles including President of Zeta Amicae of Syracuse and Secretary of Delta Alpha Gamma Zeta Amicae of Onondaga County. Her experience includes governance, program development, advocacy, public speaking, and community engagement.
As a mother of five and grandmother of five, Stacey brings both professional and family experience to her mentoring. She helps people recognize their ability and work through barriers so change can hold up over time.
Young people notice who keeps their word. Our staff and board are responsible for doing exactly that.
Learn who we serve and why steady guidance matters when a young person is rebuilding or starting over.
See how the three Project Me phases turn steady effort into greater independence.
Meet the local people and organizations helping young people stay involved and keep moving.
