Béty Lê Shackelford champions marginalized communities through good eats and good deeds

Photo by Phon Wills

If you’ve followed trends of motivation and self-betterment over the years, you may have encountered the Japanese idea of ikigai. Ikigai literally refers to the idea of “the meaning of living,” and it is the search to find a passion that makes your life and the world a better place. Béty Lê Shackelford—the founder and executive director of the nonprofit Hella Good Deeds—thinks she’s found her ikigai over the last few years. Now, she has big plans to continue nurturing Hella Good Deeds in 2025 and beyond.

Shackelford grew up in northern California and met her husband James when they were both a part of a touring performance of The Little Mermaid. “We had a little showmance, but figured out pretty quickly that it was more than that,” she says. “He was from Liberty, and we decided to settle down close to his hometown.”

After the move to Kansas City, James and Béty got into politics. She eventually became the Campaign Manager for Mayor Quinton Lucas, and that planted the seeds for her to move into the nonprofit sector.

Photo by Phon Wills

“I started meeting all these people who were dedicating their energy into their passion and changing the world for the better,” she says. “As the pandemic got worse, anti-Asian rhetoric started to get louder and louder. That’s when I started to look around for a way to make a difference for the Kansas City Asian community.”

The rise of anti-Asian rhetoric may have pushed Shackelford toward jumping into action, but one specific incident served as the catalyst for Hella Good Deeds: the 2021 Atlanta spa shooting. On March 16, 2021, a man named Robert Long purchased a handgun and fired shots inside three different Atlanta spas and massage parlors. Long killed eight people and injured a ninth before he was arrested. He later pled guilty and, even though most of the victims were Asian women, claimed his crime was not racially motivated.

Regardless of Long’s motivation, Shackelford knew she needed to step up. She joined forces with Jackie Nguyen, the owner of Cafe Cà Phê (which did not have a permanent location at the time and was operating as a pop-up), to hold a vigil at one of Cafe Cà Phê’s events in the West Bottoms. 

“We were expecting maybe 15 or 20 people to show up,” Shackelford says. “Instead, we had over 500 people, including several state representatives! That’s when we knew we had something, and I knew I had found my calling.” Hella Good Deeds was born.

Photo by Travis Young

For a few years, Hella Good Deeds operated as somewhat of a sister organization to Cafe Cà Phê. Each year, they put together events to spotlight Asian-owned businesses and celebrate Asian culture, including a January Lunar New Year Celebration, May AAPI Heritage Festival, and Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. 

They’ve hosted a few other special events, like helping celebrate the ribbon-cutting ceremony when Cafe Cà Phê opened their brick-and-mortar location. However, the plan has always been to grow even bigger—which Hella Good Deeds is shooting for now that they’re officially a separate nonprofit entity.

In October 2024, Hella Good Deeds soft-launched as an independent entity and started receiving grants, but Shackelford sees 2025 as the official beginning with January’s Lunar New Year celebration.

Photo by Phon Wills

“We want to serve as a connecting thread between existing Asian-focused nonprofits,” she says. “As more people get involved, we’ll be able to help become even more inclusive. We plan on bigger events and have some huge goals in mind to shoot for.”

Some of Shackelford’s goals are generalized: She wants her daughter and other Asian children to be proud of their heritage and culture, and she wants Kansas City to become the Midwestern hub for Asian culture. As far as more concrete goals, the big one is establishing a true Asian district in KC—something that can rival Chinatown or Koreatown in major US cities. Shackelford refers to it as “The Jade District” in her head, but she knows that will be up for debate if it ever starts to materialize.

Hella Good Deeds has a three-pronged approach to establishing a proud Asian population. The “Three Temples” of Hella Good Deeds are: Ancestors—celebrating heritage and traditions; Descendents—amplifying the stories and experiences of the Asian population of Kansas City; Community—building connections between the different populations in Kansas City

If you ever attend an event hosted by Hella Good Deeds, it won’t take long to see these pillars  put into practice. The Lunar New Year celebration always features food, drink, and goods from Asian-owned businesses, performances like songs, dance, and fashion shows, music, kids’ activation areas, and much more. Shackelford encourages the community surrounding Hella Good Deeds to contribute to making events special, citing things like lucky red Li Xi envelopes and a community altar honoring lost loved ones.

“We want everyone to feel safe and welcome at our events—We’re extremely excited to see what we can add as they continue to grow,” Shackelford says.

Photo by Travis Young

The Lunar New Year celebration for the Year of the Snake, which also served as Hella Good Deeds’ official launch party, just occurred at The Guild event space in the Crossroads, so you’ll have to wait a bit for their next gathering, which is likely to occur in May, during AAPI Heritage Month. Check Hella Good Deeds’ social media accounts for updates on their events and to find out how you can help or contribute. Donations, sponsors, and community-driven events are always welcome.

Shackelford carries a continuous motivation to make Hella Good Deeds a driving force for good for all Asian communities in Kansas City. Several times, while speaking about her goals and dreams for the nonprofit, she has to slow down as she finds herself getting emotional. The emotion and hard work she pours into Hella Good Deeds comes with major benefits. She says, “For my daughter, or other kids in our community… When they say they feel powerful or proud to celebrate who they are, that just makes it all worth it.”

Click below to read the February 2025 Issue of The Pitch Magazine: