Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Recent Articles by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
These brothers brought artisan Mexican designs to the streets of KC; now Pancho’s Blanket is opening a Crossroads shop
A handmade Mexican garment company led by brothers Jonathan and Joseph Garvey is quickly making the leap from First Friday pop up to Crossroads storefront — announcing the debut of a permanent home for the shop next week. Pancho’s Blanket — which partners with artisans in Tlaxcala, Mexico, to design and make wool jackets, blankets,…
KC inventor’s untimely death leaves legacy of fearlessness, unfinished vision
Paul Francis pioneered fitness tech for NASA, commercialized it with Bowflex, then raised $4 million on Kickstarter: How the OYO founder’s unexpected death this month cut his storied entrepreneurial journey short — but left a lasting impression on the people who worked alongside him. Former colleagues are remembering the late Paul Francis as a uniquely…
New VP, investments among strategic scale-up efforts at Overland Park healthcare startup
ModRN Health has dramatically accelerated over the past year, said CaRessa Hutchinson, detailing moves that include more patients, new funding and the addition of an on-call expert in fast-growing startups. With more than 80 clinicians (nurses and doctors) on its team, the Overland Park-based virtual primary care solutions company is now providing family healthcare, plan…
KC capital implants cattle tech startup with fuel to scale, expanding IVF labs, headcount
Livestock production has seen a remarkable transformation since Kerryann Kocher was growing up on her family’s sixth-generation farm in northeast Iowa, the Vytelle CEO said. Instead of just selecting the cow that looks best and bringing in the neighbor’s bull for breeding, as she remembers it, Kocher and Vytelle — a Kansas City-based precision livestock…
Google’s $100K ‘stamp of approval’ for PlaBook reads like validation for KC-built edtech startup
Kansas City expatriate PlaBook is set to receive $100,000 from Google’s initiative to provide funding to Black-led startups. But for Philip Hickman, it’s not just about the funding, he said. It’s also a credibility boost. “We were happy to receive an investment from Google,” the edtech startup founder said. “It’s a stamp of approval to…
Camel Culture tastes like home: How a Missouri dairy’s milk fills a void when everything else seems foreign
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. This series is possible thanks to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which leads a collaborative, nationwide effort to identify and remove large and small barriers to new business creation. MILLER,…
How one founder plans to use blockchain to bring equity, transparency to the ‘American Dream’ — buying a home
After back-to-back home-buying nightmares — where predatory practices left Louis Byrd with mounting bills from unexpected repairs — the Kansas City entrepreneur and creative force plans to launch a new blockchain-infused solution to increase transparency for homebuyers. The first tech product from Byrd’s Zanago Design, Kataba is expected to allow potential buyers to verify titles,…
You shouldn’t have to drive through hell to find a car, founder says; Startup brings concierge service to online auto customers
Not all car buyers want to be in the driver’s seat — especially when attempting to navigate a disconnected roadmap of dealer-focused online marketplaces, said Eric Westphal. “Years ago, when I was looking for a car, I knew what I wanted and I couldn’t find it locally,” said Westphal, describing the inspiration behind Overland Park-based…
‘Perfect for new mRNA vaccines’: Olathe startup targets biotech toward precision delivery
A sudden, then lingering, global pandemic put a spotlight on vaccine technology — with an Olathe startup now positioning itself at the leading edge of both pharmaceutical and vaccine applications for humans and their four-legged counterparts. “We manufacture and develop peptide delivery systems to help deliver drugs and vaccines safer and more effectively,” said Steve…
These chefs are baking fine dining (and shareable small plates) into one of KC’s favorite cookie spots
Classic Cookie by day; Wild Rose Bistro by night. Two dining concepts will share the same space in Waldo as Chef Bryan Sparks builds a new menu — and business — from his obsession with food and growth. “It doesn’t really make sense for us to get another brick-and-mortar spot,” said Sparks, who launched the rebooted…