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
They didn’t want to go corporate; how AI gave brothers the tools to forge their own path, together
Tyler and Garrett Amundsen are using AI to help insurance brokers spend more time on relationships and less time on data, the duo shared. Inspired by conversations around their family’s Kansas City dinner table, as well as the latest tech developments, the brothers launched LightDoc in early 2023 to automate and streamline repetitive tasks that…
KC govtech startup: You shouldn’t have to know how local government works to get answers (or make impact)
Even a ripple can make waves, said Mitch Mabrey, an exited cleantech founder whose new cause finds him on a mission to ensure that the voices of residents from all walks of life are more broadly heard — and answered — by their government officials. Resonus, his Kansas City-based political information platform is designed to…
Indoor golf concept shoots past the rough with tech driver, hooking franchise success across US
Lenexa-based indoor golf concept GolfTRK is teeing off into the world of franchising, said Matt Williams, scoring big wins from coast to coast as demand to expand access to “golf light” soars. The modern training and performance facility — a Trackman Preferred Franchise Partner with locations in Lenexa and Overland Park — now has 11…
Tech catches up to this ‘hot commodity’: Trially scaling to next level as an early investor forecasts unlocked opportunity
Editor’s note: The following story was produced through a paid partnership with MOSourceLink, which boasts a mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Missouri grow and succeed by providing free, easy access to the help they need — when they need it. Kyle McAllister and his Trially co-founders see the Kansas City-based…
Small Biz to Watch: Matchless Cabinet throws ‘BBQ nerds’ onto national spotlight’s grill
Editor’s note: Startland News is showcasing five Kansas City small businesses this week through the newsroom’s first-ever Small Biz to Watch series, presented by Bank of America. The following highlights one of the 2025 honorees, curated by editors from Kansas City’s wide array of hard-working entrepreneurs and business owners. Selection criteria is based on factors…
KC-built creator marketplace expands to connect small businesses to influencers of all sizes
When Wes Elder and Caleb Vetter launched CreatorSpace more than a year ago, they set out to carve their own path through the blended world of entertainment and technology, Elder shared. Now their startup — what they bill as the world’s first creator marketplace — is taking a new turn. The co-founders plan to release…
Small Biz to Watch: Chick-In Waffle scales its cleverly KC-sauced identity, tapping Gen Z soul, God’s blessings
Editor’s note: Startland News is showcasing five Kansas City small businesses this week through the newsroom’s first-ever Small Biz to Watch series, presented by Bank of America. The following highlights one of the 2025 honorees, curated by editors from Kansas City’s wide array of hard-working entrepreneurs and business owners. Selection criteria is based on factors…
Family history, franchise model help second-chapter entrepreneur jump business obstacles
Throughout his career as a car salesman and mortgage broker, Brad Staples felt a calling toward entrepreneurship, he said. And when those industries ran dry, the Missouri native realized it was time to try on a familiar hat: running a family business. His venture, USA Ninja Challenge — a franchise kids’ fitness gym inspired by…
Marma launches sister brand to fit weight loss support with women’s health needs
Weight loss support wasn’t originally in the plans for Marma — the only OB-GYN and registered dietician-approved nutrition platform for women during their reproductive years — shared co-founder Meredith McAllister. But with the rise of GLP-1 medications, she and co-founder Victoria Weber saw the opportunity for a nourishing, evidence-based approach to weight loss support. In…
Why this ‘monstrous Midwesterner’ started the presses for a sacred space in KC’s West Bottoms
Editor’s note: The following story was produced through a paid partnership with MOSourceLink, which boasts a mission to help entrepreneurs and small businesses across the state of Missouri grow and succeed by providing free, easy access to the help they need — when they need it. Thayer Bray loves printmaking, but he gets just as…