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 Articles by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
On this episode of our 12-part Plug and Play Topeka podcast series, we speak with Kyle Folk, CEO and founder of Ground Truth Ag — a next-gen ag-tech company using AI, machine vision and near-infrared spectroscopy to deliver real-time grain-quality data across the farm-to-market workflow. Folk shares how his upbringing on a Canadian farm inspired…
Read MoreThree decades of pizza at a popular downtown Overland Park corner might have come to a close this week, as the crew at Buffalo State Pizza Co. picked up the last of what they could carry and walked it a half block down the street to the shop’s new home near another local favorite, The…
Read MoreEditor’s note: The following story was written and first published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click here to read the original story. [divide] Executive MBA professor named new real estate center director With more than two decades of leadership in public-private partnerships, economic development and community engagement, Troy Nash will serve as director of the Lewis…
Read MoreShort-term fun, long-term gains. It’s a win-win for Kansas City, local leaders said Thursday, announcing new high-profile concepts set to take the pitch alongside the summer 2026 FIFA World Cup — games that could redefine the region in front of a global audience. “The KC region has an incredible opportunity to showcase our market’s business environment,…
Read MoreEditor’s note: This story was originally published by The Beacon, a member of the KC Media Collective, which also includes Startland News, KCUR 89.3, American Public Square, Kansas City PBS/Flatland, and Missouri Business Alert. Click here to read the original story from The Beacon, an online news outlet focused on local, in-depth journalism in the public interest.…
Read MoreSales jumped after Taylor Swift was seen wearing one of EB and Co.’s rings at a key moment in the popstar’s high-profile romance with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. The jolt of exposure helped propel the brand’s expansion — most recently the opening of a fourth shop in downtown Lee’s Summit. “This location was requested…
Read MoreHardware — not just software — should be at the forefront of the AI’s future, Jerry Hsu shared. After the successful release of its GPT-powered AI mouse, Jethro V1, in late 2024, Overland Park-based Virtusx — which is revolutionizing workplaces through integrating hardware and software to make AI-driving products more accessible and user-friendly — has…
Read MoreStorytailor’s marquee Pure Pitch Rally win comes at the perfect time for the Kansas City startup, its founders said. They’re preparing to roll out a new immersive storytelling platform through a partnership with Amazon’s Alexa+ next year — a move expected to bring their tech to more than 200 million Prime users. “It’s the most…
Read More