Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Recent Articles by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Another Uber fiasco? KCMO proposes $600 fee, regulations for Airbnb hosts

February 23, 2016

Recently proposed city regulations could throw Kansas City home-sharing in the doghouse. More than 100 area hosts and guests of services like Airbnb and VRBO fueled a discussion Monday on home-sharing regulations that the City of Kansas City, Mo., is proposing after  complaints of abuse. Led by assistant city manager Rick Usher, city officials met…

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Kansas City is a top 10 locale for women-owned businesses

February 23, 2016

The Kansas City area is a top destination for women to own a business, according to a new report. A study released Monday by personal finance website WalletHub placed Kansas City in the top 10 U.S. cities for women-owned businesses. [pullquote]Kansas City earned a No. 7 spot, beating out other Midwest cities including Omaha (No.…

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The impact and challenges of cultivating champions of your startup

February 22, 2016

I recently wrote about the importance of building a close relationship with a champion of your company. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, author of Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor, notes that “women have twice as many mentors as men, but half as many sponsors.” A mentor can provide advice and perspective, but a sponsor or champion…

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Local, artificial intelligence firms enter the Sprint Accelerator

February 22, 2016

There’s a bit of local flavor in the latest class of startups to enter the Techstars-led Sprint Accelerator. Now hosting its third batch of startup companies, the accelerator welcomed ten new companies to its three-month program, including one from Kansas City and another from Lawrence. Super Dispatch, based in Kansas City, and Mycroft, based in…

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Locally-made drone designed to save servicemen, civilians’ lives

February 19, 2016

An injured soldier is miles away from medical help, holed up in a countryside village. Reaching him by medevac helicopter isn’t an option and ground Humvee ambulance will take hours. The soldier doesn’t have hours. Usually, it’s a scenario that unfortunately results in death. But Pulse Aerospace, based in Lawrence, Kan., is working to change…

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Research on your startup’s crazy idea can yield cash

February 19, 2016

You know the feeling when you find $20 in your pocket that you forgot was there? Or have you seen the late-night infomercials about all the “found money” just sitting around waiting for you to claim it? It’s exciting stuff — the kind that makes your pulse race and your mind wander to the endless…

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Fighting the Silicon Valley monster and why startups leave the Midwest

February 18, 2016

Here’s this week’s dish on the booming ed tech sector, how other communities can contend with Silicon Valley and the realities of startup relocation. Check out more in this series here. Biz News: How the rest of America can compete with Silicon Valley Silicon Valley is the “center of the new-business universe,” according to Dileep…

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Events Preview: DevFest, UMKC Career Accelerator

February 18, 2016

There are a boatload of entrepreneurial events hosted in Kansas City on a weekly basis. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, supporter or curious Kansas Citian, we’d recommend these upcoming events for you. WEEKLY EVENT PREVIEW     DevFest When: February 20 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm Where: Jack Reardon Convention Center Attend for great content from…

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Blake Miller: Missouri should scrap its ‘Show Me’ slogan

February 18, 2016

Editor’s note: The following piece was inspired by recent news that Acre Designs, a startup that launched in Kansas City, will be relocating to San Francisco after facing a tepid, area investor market.    Cue the somber violin music. Another sad, all-too-familiar Kansas City story recently played out with news that Acre Designs will be leaving the…

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Former KC startup eyes nationwide education revamp with merger

February 17, 2016

About a year after a move from Kansas City to St. Louis, education tech firm myEDmatch has merged with a nationwide teacher recruitment platform. Led by CEO Alicia Herald, myEDmatch will combine its platform connecting teachers and school job openings with St. Louis-based Teachers-Teachers, a firm that focuses on teacher recruitment. The new, yet-to-be-named entity…

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