Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

2 weeks ago | startlandnews.com | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Baseball hall of famer Reggie Jackson values the 18th and Vine district’s rich history, he said Wednesday, but the Yankees icon known as “Mr. October” by fans across the globe is even more excited about what the Kansas City cultural hub’s future holds. “If I can be a part of that, I’m absolutely thrilled to be,” continued Jackson, who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball, reaching the postseason in 11 of them, winning six pennants and five World Series.

2 weeks ago | startlandnews.com | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Creating space for healing and connection in Kansas City’s historic northeast is too critical to abandon, said Enrique Chi, whose nonprofit — and a popular music and arts festival — faces federal funding cuts targeting heritage-related initiatives that don’t align with the priorities of President Trump. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently rescinded $85,000 in funding for Art as Mentorship and its Celebrate AMERI’KANA Music and Arts Festival.

3 weeks ago | startlandnews.com | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

TOPEKA — Collaboration in the Midwest is just a call away, said Romaine Redman. It’s a reality that sets the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem apart, he added, and a heartland trait that seeds Topeka’s Plug and Play accelerator with the potential for international impact. “I pick up the phone and I call someone, and they’re here and ready to go,” explained Redman, chief innovation and strategy officer for the Kansas Department of Commerce.

4 weeks ago | startlandnews.com | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

Brett Goodwin and Alan Tipton are feeling even more thankful right now for the large, dry basement at The Learning Tree — the independent toy store they own in Prairie Village — amid worries over tariffs on Chinese imports and how they’ll impact prices from toy manufacturers. The best they can do to prepare: stockpile merchandise earlier than usual for the holiday season and commit to larger orders, Goodwin and Tipton shared. On Wednesday, the toy store owners gave U.S. Rep.

1 month ago | startlandnews.com | Nikki Overfelt Chifalu

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. TOPEKA — Although international educators are not new to the state’s capital city, Topeka welcomed about 50 teachers from the Philippines this past school year to address shortages within the local district.