Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Reporter, Startland News
Nikki brings to Startland News both community journalism and entrepreneurship experience and she loves being able to tell the inspiring stories of fellow creatives and risk-takers.
Before joining Startland News, she worked for over 10 years writing and editing for daily newspapers in Lawrence, Topeka, Duluth, Minnesota, and Park Hills, Missouri. She took a short hiatus from journalism to pursue her dream of becoming a pastry chef and starting her own baking business.
Recent Stories by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
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…
Hair and beauty emergency? On-demand app matches stylists with last-minute needs nearby
Inspired by the need for a last-minute blowout at a hotel in Florida — as well as her life-changing experience with contract work — Ruth Shrauner turned to tech that she hopes will reshape the foundation of the beauty industry. The Shawnee-based founder and CEO plans to launch her app — Poshed On The Go…
Recreational golf can be lonely without community; this Olathe-built app brings players together on the green
He set out to create an all-encompassing, tech-enabled golf platform that would make his favorite sport more fun, accessible, convenient, and transparent — but Somanath Chilukuri already knew the hazards of the crowded course ahead of him. “Today there is so much app overload on people,” said Chilukuri, an Olathe IT professional and the founder…
Allyship means mistakes plus action: New project draws parallels between innovation, DEIB
It’s time for coworkers to move beyond best intentions, said Ghadeer Garcia and Mark Logan, announcing the launch of a new project aimed at pushing allies in the workplace to action. The co-founders created the Ally Lab project through Idealect, an equity-centered social innovation company in Kansas City. The Ally Lab will offer knowledge and…
Veteran podcast creator finds inspiration at the crossroads of hip-hop, health; now launching digital magazine
Jessica Dalby might be the name and face of her business, but her brands are all about lifting up others, she said. “My mission statement is: everyone can shine and succeed together,” detailed the founder of Jessica Dalby Brand Media. Under the company’s umbrella are four brands: “Diggie A-2: The Progression of Hip-Hop” video/audio podcast,…
Window wordplay: More than meets the eye for lettering artist with a hand in Cafe Cà Phê’s new look
Andrea Bosnak’s name and face might not immediately look familiar, but many Kansas Citians have definitely seen her signature work across the metro. The Spur & Serif lettering artist’s craft is featured at local hotspots like The Nelle, Café Corazón, Alma Mader Brewing, Classic Cookie, Rye, and now Cafe Cà Phê’s new brick and mortar…
Alone or in the club: Virtual jukebox app spins back after laying new tracks as a social experience
Former music promoter Adell Hendon said he knew he couldn’t keep the turnup going forever on his own. Now the Kansas City native is helping other people party even longer with his socially-interactive virtual jukebox app — YouSpin. “I used to throw a lot of parties with DJs and even independent artists — a lot…
They told him to build it in California; this agtech founder came back to Kansas instead
When it came time to plant Trevor McKeeman’s agtech startup, he refused to farm the groundbreaking company’s future out to the coasts — specifically California where potential funders said he could find “money and talent.” “I was actually in Boston at the time,” explained McKeeman, founder and CEO of HitchPin, a digital marketplace for farmers…
None More Lonesome: Creative’s expression takes new form as ‘street art meets pop art meets tattoo flash’
Growing up in Olathe, Brett Crawford doesn’t really remember many places for local artists to put their work on display, he said. But times have changed and the artist and musician, who moved back to the Kansas City area during the pandemic, will see his None More Lonesome collection of paintings on display at Mean…
Outside look from the inside: What a visiting economic fellow found in KC (rival BBQ is just a taste)
After spending his summer in Kansas City, the metro reminds Alvin Gusman a lot of his hometown, Austin, he said. The Texas A&M student is in the last two weeks of his 10-week Equity in Economic Development Fellowship with the Economic Development Corporation of Kansas City (EDCKC), reflecting on the experience. “I’ve actually really enjoyed…