Mom Next Door / Leigh Butler

real moms.

RÉSUMÉ

CURRENT POSITION

CEO and founder of Meet Akina AGE 43 LIVES IN Frisco HAILS FROM Fort Worth, where she grew up with sister Codie Oliver— co-creator and director of Black Love, a docuseries on the Oprah Winfrey Network

ALMA MATER

Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia; earned a bachelor’s degree in English Arts

SIGNIFICANT OTHER

Husband Chris, chief operating officer of Meet Akina CHILDREN Sons Caleb, 13, Gavin, 12, Dylan, 3

WHERE TO CONNECT

meetakina.com, @meetakina on Instagram

ABOVE // Leigh Butler's own feelings and experiences as a mom inspired Meet Akina.

mom next door / LEIGH BUTLER

Helping Black moms find their tribe

INTERVIEW KELLY WOOLEY PHOTOGRAPHY NATHAN HUNSINGER

YOU COULD SAY LEIGH BUTLER’S LIFE WAS CHARMED. She earned a degree from an esteemed university and was thriving as a wife, mom and business owner. But a few years ago, Butler and her husband found themselves in a financial crisis. They ultimately had to seek assistance just to keep food on the table. Health concerns that accompanied a surprise third pregnancy added to the stress.

That’s about the time that the Butlers moved to Texas from Alabama. Things started to get better— and then the pandemic hit, and the nation plunged deeper into divisive debates about politics and race. Butler used those factors to her advantage and moved forward with an idea she’d been considering for a while. Last November, she launched Meet Akina, an online platform and app aimed at creating community and addressing challenges faced by Black mothers.

DFWCHILD: HOME IS NOW FRISCO, BUT YOU’VE ALSO LIVED IN FORT WORTH, VIRGINIA, WASHINGTON, D.C., ALABAMA AND DALLAS. WHAT TOOK YOU ON THAT JOURNEY?

LEIGH BUTLER: I love Fort Worth, but I knew I wouldn’t come back to live there as an adult. Going to college somewhere far away like Virginia was my parents’ rule. They wouldn’t pay for a local school because they wanted to teach me independence. I moved to Washington, D.C. for a job. Once [my husband] Chris and I got together, we moved to Birmingham, his hometown. Then we moved to Dallas before settling in Frisco.

C: DID YOU ALWAYS KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A MOM?

LB: Absolutely. My mom nicknamed me “Mama Leigh” because I “mommed” all my friends as a child.

C: WHAT SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT PARENTING?

LB: I wasn’t prepared for how much I would love them and be so willing to sacrifice. Just wearing your heart on your sleeve and having this overwhelming need to protect them—it’s the hardest part of parenting but also the best part.

C: LET’S TALK ABOUT WHEN YOUR LIFE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN.

LB: We were in Birmingham and had two business ventures—an upscale barber shop and a hair and skincare line for men. During that time, we made the tough decision to close our businesses and found ourselves in more debt than we could handle. We knew we needed a change, so we decided to move to Texas to be near family.

C: DID THINGS GET BETTER HERE?

LB: Unfortunately no. I found a job in Dallas working with a senate candidate, then he decided not to run, which was a huge blow. I was supposed to have a good salary, so we enrolled the boys in a highly recommended Frisco Montessori school. We had tuition to pay. Chris was working a couple of jobs but was significantly underpaid.

C: AND THEN LIFE HIT YOU WITH ANOTHER SURPRISE.

LB: Yes. I found out I was pregnant with Dylan. It’s hard to find a job when you’re pregnant. Dylan was born healthy and happy, thankfully.

C: A BLESSING FOR SURE—BUT A GROWING FAMILY ALSO MEANS MORE PRESSURE ON ALREADY LIMITED RESOURCES. YOU FINALLY NEEDED ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. WHAT LED UP TO THAT POINT?

LB: Child care is expensive, so I took a part-time job, with the American Liver Foundation, that let me work from home. My husband was interviewing for a job with a financial corporation, but at the time was underemployed at a local business. Even though we were bringing in income, it wasn’t nearly enough. We had to figure out other options.

C: WHEN DID THINGS TURN AROUND?

LB: I was laid off from the American Liver Foundation—but from there, some of our local doctors formed the Texas Liver Foundation and hired me on full time. I was also doing some consulting work, since everything was virtual. And Chris got his job in banking. We eventually got back on our feet.

C: FAST FORWARD TO YOUR NEWEST “BABY,” MEET AKINA. WHAT SPARKED THE IDEA FOR AN APP TO CONNECT BLACK MOMS?

LB: My pregnancy with Dylan left me feeling very

“I LACKED alone. And I experienced

A TRIBE OF health issues, something that’s not uncommon for WOMEN, AND I Black women during pregnancy. I lacked a tribe of GOT THE SENSE women, and I got the sense that during COVID-19,

THAT DUR- other women needed con-

ING COVID-19, nection, too. My husband was behind the app idea OTHER WOMEN from day one, but I kept putting things off. It felt

NEEDED CON- so overwhelming. NECTION, TOO.” C: WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO FINALLY GO

FOR IT?

LB: The George Floyd incident pushed me off the fence. What happened to George Floyd has happened to too many Black men, women and children for centuries. The difference here was the callous disregard for his life, his humanity. And it happened right before our eyes in a way that it was impossible to deny. From talking to my friends, family and community, I knew we were all craving a safe space to discuss our feelings and how to have these conversations with our kids.

C: HOW IS MEET AKINA DIFFERENT?

LB: Our goal is not just connection but education, information and resources as well. It’s an inclusive community that focuses not only on Black moms but any mom, caregiver or auntie who is raising a child of a different color. We’re also working on a desktop interface with life skills courses and an on-demand library covering finances, cooking and other topics.

C: HOW FULFILLING WAS IT TO SEE MEET AKINA COME TO LIFE?

LB: Working for yourself is rewarding but tough. Being able to do something I am passionate about and hearing from other people about how it impacts lives—that keeps me going.