We were lucky to catch up with Altreisha Foster recently and have shared our conversation below.
Altreisha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We believe kindness is contagious and so we’d love for you to share with us and our audience about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Altreisha, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I would be happy to. My name is Dr. Altreisha Foster-Bentho, a Jamaican-born vaccine scientist who is currently embracing and developing my creative side through baking. I am married to Dr. Oladi Bentho whom I met at Howard University College of Medicine, and most importantly mom to our two children Kende and K’nedy. We currently live in Minneapolis, Minnesota and have founded Cake Therapy, an organization that prepares women and girls to own their creativity through baking while they work through their trauma.
I am a graduate of Campion College (high school) and the University of Technology in Jamaica as well as Howard University and The George Washington University, Milken School of Public Health in the USA.
My career in public health and vaccine science began in Washington DC. I later worked in the Caribbean as a vaccine principal and I have had research published in several science journals such as Nature.
Currently I own a baking and dessert making company, Sugarspoon Desserts, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. And I have been fortunate to have dessert creations featured in local and international media, both print and electronic.
I discovered my passion for baking just over 5 years ago. But baking is a family staple. As I remember while growing up in Jamaica , especially at Christmas, watching my grandparents, aunts, uncles and other immediate family members bake cakes and other desserts.
My most recent project saw me take on the label of author, writing an autobiography: Cake Therapy: How Baking Changed My Life, but it chronicles my baking journey and its impact on my life.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Growing up in Jamaica, compared to the life I currently live, at that time it would have been seen as unattainable. I persevered through financial and physical challenges to achieve my successes. Considering that I left Jamaica with only 1000 USD and a vision to begin school at Howard University. I did not know where I would live or how my tuition would be paid. But I stuck to my task, driven by ambition and determined to change the trajectory of my life. A family took a chance on me and that was the initial start I needed. I had no intention of giving up!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When my husband completed his Fellowship he was offered a job in Minnesota. At that time I was a vaccine Principal conducting extensive research in the Caribbean.The decision to move to Minneapolis from Maryland, meant I had to pivot, and make needed adjustments, to reset and restart my career. I also had two (2) young children and I could no longer travel for work outside the U.S.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sugarspoondesserts.com
- Instagram: @sugarspoondesserts
Image Credits
Dotun Ayodeji : Dotunayodejiphotography