FOUNDER

Tatianna is a Founder of the Always Strive and Prosper Foundation and the mother of its inspiration, Steven “ASAP Yams” Rodriguez. Tatianna was driven to start the foundation in an effort to solidify a long term legacy of service and contribution made by her son, as well as serve as an positive inspiration to other young people in need of support. Tatianna has dedicated her time and effort to education and community upliftment for the local youth and she is focused on continuing to empower them through the works and organization of the Always Strive and Prosper Foundation. Tatianna is a tireless advocate of creativity and individual expression and she is honored to serve others in the name of her son, Steven Rodriguez.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Darryl is an experienced entrepreneur as well as director and producer of film, multi-media, and other entertainment/artistic mediums. He attended Emory University and has since worked in the media sector with a specialties interest in urban music, video, and film as well as a director and executive producer of documentaries regarding social justice and activism. Darryl’s dedication to the Foundation started as a friend of Steven’s who has made it a mission to work with Tatianna Paulino and ensure aid and factual education to other young adults who might battle with substance abuse and who inherently need information about the dire signals and potential consequences that have plagued their communities and demographic.

LEGAL COUNCILS

Josh serves as a Director of the Always Strive and Prosper Foundation Inc. Mr. Zeide is an accomplished attorney and business manager to high net worth families within the technology, financial, sports and entertainment industries. Mr. Zeide is a Graduate of Emory University and Georgia State University School of Law and J. Mack Robinson School of Business. Josh’s inspiration for serving the foundation grew from a personal relationship with Steven Rodriguez in addition to the dedicated positive energy and vision of Steven’s Mother, Tatianna Paulino, and long-standing friendship with Executive Director Darryl Phillips.

BOARD MEMBER

Josephine is an Executive Assistant to C-Suite Level professionals. Ms. Nunez is a specialist in a broad variety of administrative tasks, some of which extend to managing events, completing expense reports; processing invoices; composing and preparing correspondence that is often sensitive and/or confidential in nature as well as liaising with internal and external clients. She studied fashion design at F.I.T. in New York and completed study abroad courses which allowed her to live in Florence, Italy for two years where she learned to speak Italian. Ms. Nunez began working at Dolce & Gabbana as an assistant to the President of Public Relations and transitioned into other diverse administrative roles in her career including real estate, finance, and executive search.

BOARD MEMBER

Francina is a BSN, RN, CNOR. She graduated with high honors from Adelphi University and is a registered nurse at one of the most prestigious hospitals in New York City with a specialty in surgery. She also gives her time in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York in the field of youth ministry. Her mother Argentina and Steven’s mother Tatianna are very close sisters making their relationship more like brother and sister rather than just cousins. Francina is a cousin of Steven Rodriguez and is passionate about the work of the Foundation because it will reach youth that are in most need and provide them with the necessary resources and support they are looking for, and will assist in proactively preventing other youth from becoming involved in substance abuse by informing them of the dangers and potentialities of fatality.

BOARD MEMBER

Fernando has written for several outlets including Poetry Magazine, The Southern Review, Vox, and VICE. He is a host of the cable network VICELAND’s short documentary show Vice World of Sports.

After graduating from Columbia University’s Creative Writing Program, Fernando became the first Latino Ivy Leaguer in Major League Baseball history. Fernando continued to write while playing baseball professionally for 10 years, contributing essays and columns to several publications, including The New York Times. After retirement, Fernando worked as an ambassador for MLB in Europe and Africa and traveled through Mongolia, Central America, and the Pacific Islands doing research for his first novel.

Fernando now works as a columnist for VICE.com, and an on-camera personality for both VICE’s digital imprint and its new cable network, VICELAND. Fernando is a baseball analyst for MLB.com and also a youth mentor for the Governor’s Committee of Scholastic Achievement.

BOARD MEMBER

Azamat (commonly referred to as “Z”) was born and raised halfway across the world in Kazakhstan but always had his eyes and ambitions set on a life and professional career based in New York City. Having called New York home for the last 14 years, Z has established substantial roots in the fashion industry as an owner of the high-end streetwear company 375 Showroom which he co-founded in 2016. Z also currently serves as the Merchandise and Licensing Director for Yamborghini LLC. as well as consulting for a host of other fashion brands and online startups. After majoring in Social Sciences and minoring in Journalism during his time at Long Island University, Z focused on entering the music industry and began to build his extensive network in public relations. These influential relationships along with his curiosity in design and entrepreneurship organically led him to the genesis of 375 as well as to his involvement with the A$AP Foundation and other philanthropic initiatives. Z is deeply engaged with the community of the Lower East Side and unfortunately has also lost several friends and associates to substance abuse and is thus inspired to spread awareness on this rapidly escalating continental polemic.