About Us

Meet Our Team

SoYeon Janet Lee

President

Janet grew up in New York City’s foster care system (as a lifelong Yankees fan) and attended a specialized high school where going to college was the norm, but didn’t finish with her peers.  Thanks to the love and support of her friends and extended family, she decided to enroll in college and eventually earned a law degree.  After working as a corporate lawyer for a large firm for several years, Janet realized that she had the means to start Project Fairness, to share this pathway with others who grew up in the foster care system.  She lives by the motto “learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.”

Contact by email:  lee@projectfairness.org

Sasha Chavkin

Executive Vice President

Sasha Chavkin grew up in New York City in Washington Heights, where he was sometimes known as “El Blanquito.” He now lives in Washington DC and is a reporter for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, where he investigates human rights violations, worker and consumer safety, and corruption. Sasha previously worked as an associate editor for Represent, a magazine written by and for youth in foster care. He is a lifelong Mets fan and believes that one day they will win the World Series again.

Contact by email:  sasha.chavkin@projectfairness.org

Pradine Saint-Fort, Esq.

Vice President of Mentorship

Pradine grew up in Brooklyn, NY where she spent most of her time reading, writing, and listening to 90s classics in Hip Hop, R&B, and Alternative Rock.  As a first generation American of Haitian parentage, Pradine is passionate about working with communities-at-promise—people who must overcome challenges to access opportunities in the United States.  Pradine currently works as an attorney helping migrant youth, and some parents, navigate complex immigration issues.  Pradine enjoys writing poems, travel, and running.

Contact by email:  pradine.saintfort@projectfairness.org

Mary A. McCooe

Corporate Secretary and Compliance Officer

Mary McCooe grew up in Alaska, where she first began working with foster kids as an individual service provider through an organization called The Arc of Anchorage. Mary left Alaska to attend law school in Boston, where she now spends her days (and many nights) working as an attorney. Though she misses Alaska’s beauty and her adorable Alaskan nephew, Mary loves living in Boston and experiencing all that New England has to offer. On weekends, you can often find Mary skiing in Vermont or Maine, hiking in New Hampshire, or spending time with friends and family in Boston, Connecticut, or New York.

Contact by email:  mary.mccooe@projectfairness.org

Ryan Stonebraker

Vice President of Technology

Ryan Stonebraker grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, where he spent most his childhood tinkering with computers and learning how to program. He recently graduated from a Master’s degree program in Computer Science at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and now works as a Data Scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Ryan is both ambitious and passionate when it comes to his field, but he also yearns to give back and ensure that everyone has an equal chance to succeed. In the rare moments when he is not working, Ryan enjoys skiing, hiking, running, and being outdoors.

Contact by email:  ryan.stonebraker@projectfairness.org