Dr. Altreisha Foster, PhD, MPH

President & CEO, The Cake Therapy Foundation | Principal Strategist,
Strategic Health Partners

Author | Podcast Host | Global Health Leader

Dr. Altreisha Foster is a visionary public health leader, equity strategist, author, and award-winning nonprofit founder with over 15 years of national and international experience transforming systems, elevating underserved voices, and advancing racial and health equity. She is the founder and President of the Cake Therapy Foundation, a trailblazing organization that fuses therapeutic baking with mental wellness, leadership development, and social justice to support girls impacted by foster care, the justice system, and displacement.

A dynamic communicator and storyteller, Dr. Foster is also the host of the Cake Therapy Podcast, where she leads compelling conversations at the intersection of healing, identity, creativity, and justice. Her voice extends into print as well—she is the author of two acclaimed books, Cake Therapy: How Baking Changed My Life and Lessons I Never Learned from My Father, as well as the creator of a guided journal designed to support self-discovery, emotional healing, and personal growth. Her literary work has been celebrated for its authenticity, vulnerability, and transformative power, particularly among women and girls navigating systems of trauma and resilience.

Dr. Foster holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology from Howard University College of Medicine and a Master of Public Health in Global Health Policy from the Milken Institute School at George Washington University. Her early scientific career focused on infectious disease and vaccine strategy, with fellowships at Case Western Reserve University and the University of the West Indies. She led regional immunization strategies across the Caribbean and supported disease surveillance innovation in Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago. Her research and service earned her the Emerging Scientist Award and a Pfizer Caribbean Grant.

Committed to systems transformation, Dr. Foster later served in multiple leadership roles with Ramsey County, Minnesota, designing public health interventions that addressed racial equity, youth homelessness, food insecurity, and pandemic response. In 2024, she was named Strategic Advisor to the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health (MACMH), where she now guides statewide strategic planning, technical assistance initiatives, and organizational transitions grounded in equity and trauma-informed care.

Through her consultancy, Strategic Health Partners, Dr. Foster advises public health departments, philanthropic organizations, and community collaboratives on culturally responsive strategies, capacity building, and sustainable impact design. Her work spans vaccine equity, mental health strategy, and social innovation—with clients across the U.S. and the Caribbean.

Her heart work lives in the Cake Therapy Foundation—a movement she started during the COVID-19 pandemic to merge healing, baking, and self-empowerment. Under her leadership, the foundation has served over 100 plus girls in Minnesota, launched a mobile app and national podcast, and built meaningful partnerships with organizations like Cookie Cart, Shine Foundation, and Ascension Catholic School. In 2025, the Foundation was honored with the Community Impact Award from Shine.

Dr. Foster is a sought-after keynote speaker, curriculum developer, and thought leader whose voice resonates across sectors. Whether she’s in a kitchen, a conference, or a classroom, she leads with vision, purpose, and heart. Her work centers this belief: healing is possible, transformation is real, and leadership must be bold, human, and unapologetically rooted in justice.