About Real Good Kitchen Foundation

Who We Are

OUR MISSION

Real Good Kitchen Foundation's mission is to increase food access, strengthen communities, and build equity through food entrepreneurship education, capacity building, and access to capital. 

Developed to magnify the impact of Real Good Kitchen (RGK), a shared commercial kitchen in East Knoxville, RGFK’s Food Business Incubator Program provides access to commercial kitchen space and entrepreneurial support and resources to underserved food entrepreneurs in our East Knoxville neighborhood and beyond. 

We also work to address the immediate needs of those experiencing food insecurity by providing low- and no-cost prepared meals to our neighbors.

Board of Directors

  • Karen Tyrell, President

    Senior Manager/Senior Ecologist, Western EcoSystems Technology

  • Vic Scott, Treasurer

    Restaurateur

  • Erin Hall, Secretary

    Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

  • Brian Brooks

    East Knox Outreach Pastor - Faith Promise Church
    Marketing Consultant/Owner - Eternal Marketing

  • Brewton Brownlow Couch

    Chief of Staff & Assistant Dean, Baker School, University of Tennessee

  • Femeika Elliott

    Owner - Meik Meals, Lotus Program: Operations Officer - Knoxville Community Gardens and Growers Alliance: Founder - Rooted East

  • Connor Coffey

    Campaign & Communications Consultant

Staff

Bailey Foster is the founder of Real Good Kitchen, a shared commercial kitchen and food business incubator in East Knoxville, and its nonprofit partner, 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 spent more than 20 years away, in North Carolina, New York and San Francisco, where she worked in book publishing, retail grocery, and consulting and software development, while eating all the food and exploring food cultures from around the world. 

After her return to Knoxville in 2013, she was responsible for developing a public communication, outreach and advocacy program for the Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office. 

Bailey is a member of the Mayor’s Maker Council and Past-President of Friends of the Knox County Public Library. She is on the Board for the East Knoxville Business and Professional Association. She serves as Chair of the Knoxville-Knox County Food Policy Council and was a member of the Leadership Knoxville Class of 2024.


Cade Mullins is an Americorps VISTA member serving as Program Coordinator at Real Good Kitchen Foundation. A recent graduate of Emory & Henry College, where he majored in English Literature and History, he discovered the Americorps VISTA program after reading about it online, and felt a call to serve the Appalachian region, where he has lived his whole life. He decided to serve at the Real Good Kitchen Foundation because of his dedication to combating poverty and its root causes. In his free time, he likes to read and write, and is hoping to pursue an M.F.A degree next fall.

Get Involved

Get Involved

 

Donate

Your generous contributions help us sustain and expand our educational programs. By donating to Real Good Kitchen Foundation, you support our local food system and level the playing field for underserved food entrepreneurs. Please consider donating today.