Bailey Foster - Founder

Bailey Foster is the founder of Real Good Kitchen and Real Good Kitchen Foundation. She believes in the power of food to build community, break down barriers and make lasting change.

A Knoxville native, Bailey grew up in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother. She spent more than 20 years away in New York and San Francisco, where she worked in book publishing, retail grocery, consulting and software development, while eating all the food and exploring food cultures from around the world.

When Bailey returned to Knoxville in 2013 she found a thriving downtown scene and a growing local food and beverage culture. Drawing on the work of other shared kitchens, she conceived of Real Good Kitchen as a facility and a community that would make it possible for more people to share their food stories and would foster greater equity and opportunity in the local food economy.

Bailey is an avid home cook, vegetable lover and dedicated food geek. She loves hosting meals for family and friends. When she’s not cooking or eating, she enjoys spending time with her wife and two kids, reading, jogging and exploring outdoors. 

Bailey serves as an Appointed Member and Past Chair of the Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy Council. She is President-Elect of the East Knoxville Business and Professional Association and serves on the Mayor’s Maker Council.

Bailey was a member of the Leadership Knoxville class of 2024 and is an Executive MBA Candidate at the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee.