Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Recent Articles by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
New Maker of the Year: Why this mom’s side hustle for the girly girls couldn’t stay at home
A hobbyist venture that began with making shirts for her kids has earned Julie Swopes a spot on Made in KC’s shelves for her Chiefs- and Royals-inspired tees — along with one of the local-first retailer’s top honors: KC New Maker of the Year for 2025. “I’m just a stay-at-home mom that has turned her…
Entrepreneur of the Year honorees stepped through a wormhole of fate: Here’s what they found in KC
The ultra successful all share one common influence, said Peter Mallouk: luck. And for the president and CEO of Creative Planning, good fortune has revolved around Kansas City. It all started when his parents left Egypt and ended up in Brookside, he told a crowd Wednesday evening during the 39th University of Missouri-Kansas City Entrepreneur…
Harvesting opportunity: How a KC chicken chain turned a strip of parking lot into its latest ingredient
Months before snow blanketed Kansas City this week, Todd Johnson transformed a weed-filled, unusable portion of parking lot at his Lenexa restaurant into a flourishing garden that serves up fresh produce used in kitchens at all three of his Strips Chicken and Brewing locations in Johnson County. In its first season, Moonglow Gardens — as…
How this startup (and a KC sports icon) turned young players into card-carrying legends overnight
An Overland Park-based custom trading card company and a Kansas City soccer star are teaming up on the pitch with a goal to make youth sports fun again. Stat Legend — launched by Chris Cheatham and Nick Weaver in 2023 — created custom cards for all 250 players who suit up for the Captains Soccer…
Five stocking stuffer gift ideas that brew support for women-owned KC businesses
Editor’s note: The following holiday feature is presented by nbkc bank, where small businesses find big support Shopping with intention this season is just one way Kansas City gift-givers can squeeze local impact into each nook and cranny of those holiday stockings, said Melissa Eggleston, highlighting a sleigh-ful of women-owned businesses shoppers should bank on…
Their brands survived legal bruises; here’s what still keeps these founders up at night
A brand worth building is worth safeguarding, said Bo Nelson, joining a chorus of battle-tested entrepreneurs at GEWKC who encouraged emerging business owners to trademark their own peace of mind early by locking down intellectual property — like designs, names and unique processes — from the start. “If you do have something that you genuinely,…
Keystone launching corporate engagement accelerator to boost low-friction startup collabs
Kansas City’s entrepreneurial ecosystem gets its fair share of positive press thanks to a decade of momentum, Kevin McGinnis noted, but the region’s ability to scale innovative ideas to their potential remains stalled because corporations and startups lack an easy on-ramp for collaboration. “We have been listening for years to the ecosystem, to the community,…
Innovation check(s): Angels scout potential KC investments at NXTUS nano-pitch event
A startup showcase Tuesday in the heart of Johnson County’s innovation community put impact on display as NXTUS’ Accelerate Venture Partners organized a nano-pitch event for its network of angel investors amid Global Entrepreneurship Week-Kansas City festivities. The Wichita-based entrepreneurial support organization — which has mobilized over $8.5 million for entrepreneurs in the Heartland since…
KC favorites eye World Cup: How to become ‘the spot’ for visitors without losing KC flavor
Even a visitor can become a repeat customer, said Dulcinea Herrera, stressing the importance of Kansas City businesses making their establishments a destination — not just a one-time stopover or accidental find — for international fans and other out-of-town guests when the FIFA World Cup arrives next summer. The goal: Win them over with intentional…
World Cup readiness event opens City Hall to entrepreneurs hoping to get on the roster
Kansas City wants to score as many points as possible when the FIFA World Cup arrives in 2026, said Janá Wagner, emphasizing that a special event planned Tuesday during GEWKC aims to get businesses into the game now — playbook in hand. “Our goal is to help as many entrepreneurs as possible get properly licensed,…