Natasha Givens transforms cannabis and cake into art with purpose. As the creative force behind Cream Cakery (also known as Natty Kakes), she's turned her twin passions into a platform for healing, advocacy, and destigmatization.
Our conversation traces Natasha's remarkable journey from her Caribbean roots to corporate America, where she thrived as an art director before workplace challenges pushed her toward a different path. What began as a creative outlet—making a three-tiered cake for a friend's baby shower—eventually blossomed into something unexpected when she rediscovered baking during her pregnancy in 2019. "It felt like revisiting an old friend," she shares, describing how baking became her therapy during a crucial life transition.
Most fascinating is Natasha's evolution into cannabis-infused baking. After experiencing the plant's medicinal benefits firsthand for anxiety and PTSD, she became captivated by its potential. Despite concerns about stigma—especially as a mother—she leaned into cannabis education, developing signature butters and oils while building a client base that includes everyone from traumatized first responders to older women processing grief. "I have clients who still use my products and tell me how I helped them through a really dark time," she reveals, her voice filled with emotion.
As Minnesota navigates cannabis legalization, Natasha positions herself at the forefront of creating an equitable industry while expanding her vision to include a boutique flower store. Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? "Be driven by your heart. Take time to listen to what's inside you and go back to your childhood—what lit you up?" Her own six-month break from corporate America has stretched into six years of purposeful entrepreneurship, showing how following your passion can lead to unexpected healing—for yourself and others.
Discover how Natasha is blending flour and flower into medicine, art, and community at @nattykakes on Instagram.
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