Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Recent Articles by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Schukman: 5 reasons why KC is the capital of social entrepreneurship

May 18, 2015

Take a walk in Kansas City’s startup scene and you’ll quickly hear something about KC’s devotion to becoming America’s most entrepreneurial city. This mantra is on everyone’s lips, from city leaders to corporate tycoons to scrappy startup founders. It’s amazing that in five years our city has created such clarity of purpose that millenials populating…

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KC Digital Drive creates lab to test drive gigabit apps

May 18, 2015

Ever since Google Fiber announced Kansas City as its first fiber project, techies across the nation have wondered how gigabit Internet will shape a new wave of innovation and how the city would tap its new infrastructure. And thanks to a new KC Digital Drive initiative, Kansas Citians may have an up-close look at the…

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New UMKC center to engage entrepreneurs, community

May 15, 2015

The University of Missouri-Kansas City recently solidified funds to build an innovation center to serve a broader set of students and the Kansas City community. The $14.8-million Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center will feature a variety of resources for students and the larger business community, including a lab, rapid prototyping equipment, 3D printers and…

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Claimkit snags ‘aspirational entrepreneur’ award

May 15, 2015

Overland Park-based tech startup ClaimKit recently was dubbed 2015’s most “aspirational entrepreneur” by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. Founded in 2011, Claimkit created a contract management platform for insurance companies, law firms and consulting groups to help them more efficiently collect and analyze documents. Now with five full time staff, the company in…

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C2FO CEO Sandy Kemper talks failure, VCs, maximizing time

May 14, 2015

From a Kansas City arena to the founders of one of the nation’s largest financial institutions, the Kemper name is well known in Kansas City. But it’s more than just Sandy Kemper’s name that drew a sold out crowd at Kansas City’s May Startup Grind event. Kemper leads one of Kansas City’s fastest growing companies…

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Think hiring: Employees vs. contractors

May 14, 2015

In this Think column, Venture Legal founder Chris Brown explores the dynamics a growing company faces when it needs to hire an extra set of hands. The Think column helps entrepreneurs to stop and think about the various aspects of starting and running a business. Read ThinkViral President Anne Cull’s introduction to the series here.  You’ve started a company, closed…

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Tech startup, KCSV among finalists for small biz awards

May 14, 2015

The Kansas City Kansas Chamber of Commerce announced Thursday its small business award finalists. The awards celebrate businesses that are financially successful, have a dynamic idea and are making an impact on the community. This year’s finalists include two members of the startup community. RFP365, which created software that eases the request for proposal process,…

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1MC recap: program traces roots, features The Swapping Co., OneDayKC

May 13, 2015

Kansas City’s 1 Million Cups tried something new today. And by new, it was actually old. The event met in its original venue, Kauffman Labs, which served as an intimate setting for attendees. Entrepreneurs and community members gathered around desks and viewed presentations projected onto a white board. “The venue change happened today because our…

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Coming UMKC innovation center to serve students, entrepreneurs

May 13, 2015

With funding shored up from private and public donors, the University of Missouri-Kansas City is planning to move ahead with its plan to build the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center to support students and entrepreneurs. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Tuesday that the state is allocating $7.4 million to the center, which represents half…

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Security firm Nodal nabs $100K, ramps up hiring

May 12, 2015

Good news is stacking up for Kansas City-based Nodal Industries. The security hardware tech company recently snagged $100,000 in seed funding as part of an opportunity to participate in the 500 Startup accelerator program, based in Mountain View, Calif. The funding will allow Nodal to hire up to eight people, as well as ramp up production…

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