Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Recent Articles by Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

The WTF Series: Big data

September 17, 2015

On a daily basis, Ben Kittrell translates the jargon-filled world of technology for clients of his tech consultancy. The Words that Frustrate (WTF) series aims to offer readers some clarity in an industry dominated by techies’ confusing argot. I don’t remember if I had heard the term “Big Data” before 2012 but after attending South-by-Southwest that year…

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Roberts: 5 things the world can learn from KC entrepreneurs

September 16, 2015

This week, entrepreneurship is king in Kansas City. As we welcome the world to our burgeoning tech hub during Techweek, it’s tempting to think that Kansas City’s startup community is a new phenomenon. But in fact, the names of the city fathers (and mothers) — the Kauffmans, Kempers, Blochs and Helzbergs — that adorn almost…

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After new regulations, Uber opens KC office

September 16, 2015

Uber is spreading deeper roots in the Kansas City metro after new regulations have allowed the ride-sharing giant to operate legally in Kansas and Missouri. The San Francisco-based company is currently renovating a new Kansas City office on McGee Street near the Power and Light District, said Andy Hung, general manager of Uber Kansas City.…

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Kansas City receives new tech-focused jobs board

September 16, 2015

Businesses both big and small looking to fill technology positions in their companies have a new outlet to find talent: KCnext’s new job board. In conjunction with Kansas City’s inaugural Techweek, the KCnext team announced Chute Wednesday to help area businesses in their recruiting efforts — whether they’re members of the tech council or not. Millennials have shed light on…

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Neighborly nabs $5.5M from Formation 8, Ashton Kutcher

September 15, 2015

Neighborly, a San Francisco-based startup with an office in Kansas City, recently landed a multi-million dollar investment for its community investment marketplace. The company, which relocated its headquarters from Kansas City to San Francisco after struggling to raise local capital, raised $5.5 million from venture capital firms Formation 8 and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures, according…

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Techweek Wednesday: Big Data Summit

September 15, 2015

Techweek Kansas City has arrived with dozens of events scheduled around the city each day. Wednesday’s scheduled events are included below. Don’t forget to check whether the event is RSVP-only. Big Data Summit Who: The Big Data Summit spans Wednesday and Thursday, with the bulk of the events on Wednesday. The summit events start with…

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5 takeaways from most entrepreneurial city report

September 15, 2015

A report analyzing progress on Kansas City’s goal to become America’s most entrepreneurial city highlighted a trove of information on the area’s early-stage business community. KCSourceLink’s second-annual “We Create KC” report dissects the metro’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, including its headway toward realizing a challenge to become the nation’s most entrepreneurial city. Expounding on such metrics as…

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KC lands federal ‘Smart Cities Initiative’ grant

September 15, 2015

The White House announced a new ‘Smart Cities Initiative’ this week that will bolster the Kansas City tech community. The $160 million grant has a slew of moving parts, but one portion includes a $6 million grant from the National Science Foundation that 15 communities, including Kansas City, will benefit from. The exact amount each…

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Pipeline accepting applications, heading abroad

September 14, 2015

Pipeline Entrepreneurs is welcoming applicants for its 10th fellowship class, which is now gearing up for a lively year of entrepreneurial education. Pipeline, an organization of powerful Midwestern entrepreneurs that conducts a fellowship each year, will be holding its development courses in Kansas City, St. Louis, Nebraska and Ireland. Pipeline CEO Joni Cobb said the…

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Markel: Education fix can fill local talent gap

September 14, 2015

Carrie Markel is a co-founder of The Lean Lab, a Kansas City-based education incubator that helps educators create and implement innovative ideas in schools to help students. It was August of 2013, and I was readying my classroom for 24-second graders. I had neatly arranged six groups of four chairs with their own supply buckets,…

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