Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Recent Articles by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu
Innovation Fest pitch winner touts unexpected treat: growing his animal health startup in Kansas
Emmanuel Bijaoui’s first time in Kansas — for Tuesday’s Innovation Festival and onboarding for the incoming Plug and Play Topeka cohort — has left the Treat Therapeutics founder with a lasting impression of the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, he shared. “We always talk about the Animal Health Corridor,” he said after winning the festival’s BioKansas Startup…
KC on top: Hat maker’s best-seller spotted on ‘GMA,’ ‘Ted Lasso’ as brand shapes its national profile
Sandlot Goods wears the spotlight well, said Thomas McIntyre, noting each high-profile media close up of its signature dad hat is another step toward establishing Kansas City’s only hat manufacturer as a national brand. After being featured on the “Made In America Christmas” segment of ABC World News Tonight with David Muir, Sandlot was again…
Kansas company beefs up natural qualities of meat, tallow with tech, not enhancements
Startland News’ Startup Road Trip series explores innovative and uncommon ideas finding success in rural America and Midwestern startup hubs outside the Kansas City metro. WAKEENEY, Kan. — Plainview Beef is more than just a name for the western Kansas direct-to-consumer company, CEO Gabe Orr shared. It’s a nod to a mission rooted as much in…
‘What’s stopping me?’ Bonk takes a loud swing with Crossroads streetwear store, Midwest grit
It began with Mason Barry’s search for the perfect black and white checkered sweatsuit. When nothing fit his expectations for design or quality, the Kansas City creative launched his own streetwear brand — featuring bold apparel that already is gaining a foothold in trendy fashion hubs from Brooklyn to Portland. Bonk Supply — a brand…
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…