CYstarters Spotlight: A 14-part series highlighting student entrepreneurs pursuing their business ventures as part of the CYstarters 2025 summer cohort. Through this program, students have the unique opportunity to prioritize the development of their own startup or business idea. Each individual receives $6,500 and access to resources such as mentorship, networking opportunities, and educational sessions on entrepreneurship and business startup.

Designing Boldly: The Story Behind Bolded K Studio

For Kailey Stevens, a graphic design major in Iowa State’s College of Design, creativity has always been part of the equation—but entrepreneurship wasn’t. That changed when starting with a high school graphic design class, she came out of her shell. Kailey has gone from a quiet, self-described introvert into a confident designer with a growing client base, a sharp visual style, and a thriving business: Bolded K Studio.

Now, as a member of CYstarters cohort 10, Kailey is using her passion for design to help businesses visually communicate their value—and she’s discovering just how far her skills can take her.

Growing up in Wisconsin, Kailey was surrounded by art and big dreams. Her mom, an art teacher, encouraged her to believe in her creative potential. “Believe” is her mom’s personal motto, and it’s a word Kailey carries with her into every project. Her dad, an avid cyclist and world-record-holding pumpkin grower, inspired her drive. Creativity and ambition ran through her household, and from a young age Kailey was building Lego floorplans to scale and sketching out big ideas.

Still, despite her creative roots, entrepreneurship once felt like a distant, intimidating idea. “I remember watching Shark Tank when I was younger, and I perceived it as toxic,” Kailey shared.

That began to change in high school when Kailey was pushed by her mom to take a graphic design course. Initially unsure and hesitant, Kailey found herself unexpectedly hooked. A personal branding project helped her discover her own identity. Then, an assignment to create a race map for one of her dad’s bike races sparked something deeper. “It was my first real client project,” Kailey said. “And it just kind of took off from there.” She has also designed wheel decals and bike kits for her dad.

By the time Kailey arrived at Iowa State, she had already worked with a handful of clients. Her workload grew quickly, all by word of mouth. By the end of her freshman year, she was juggling nine to ten client projects at once, all before being formally accepted into the graphic design program.

At the time, she operated under the name Kailey Stevens Design, freelancing everything from logos to social media graphics. “It started from just creating logos to developing brands and patterns and mood boards,” shared Kailey.

The services she now offers through Bolded K Studio all grew from saying “yes” to new opportunities, even when she had to teach herself the skills on the spot. “Someone once asked me to make a website,” Kailey laughed. “I had no idea how—but I said yes and figured it out.”

Through that experience, she discovered her sweet spot: the intersection of creativity and strategy. “I love being in control of the creative direction, but I also love having client feedback—it gives me structure.”

Though she had been running a freelance business for several years, it wasn’t until she stumbled upon Iowa State’s entrepreneurship minor—after turning down a suggested business minor—that she started to see herself as a business owner. “I thought I was just offering a service,” Kailey said. “But the classes helped me realize I was building a real business.”

Encouragement from CYstarters alum Josiah Graves pushed her to apply to CYstarters. “He helped me see that I didn’t have to work at a design agency. I could run my own.” Kailey had never pitched her business before CYstarters, but after being accepted, she knew she was right where she belonged.

Since joining the program, Kailey has rebranded her business to Bolded K Studio, signaling a shift from solo freelance work to a scalable brand strategy studio. Her services now include full brand identity development, brand strategy and refreshes, website design, social media kits, logo design, and packaging design.

“A big part of what I do is educating clients on what a brand really is,” said Kailey. “It’s not just a logo. A logo alone is like showing up to a job interview in a wrinkled shirt. It doesn’t represent the full value of the company.”

CYstarters has given Kailey the space to not only build her business infrastructure, but also to refine her goals. “The biggest lesson I’ll take away is really understanding who my ideal client is,” she said. “I’ve worked with some social justice organizations and loved the symbolism and impact I was able to design into those brands. I want to do more work like that—work that makes a difference.”

Beyond her business development, Kailey has been a key contributor to her CYstarters cohort, offering brand support and design services to fellow entrepreneurs in the program. While she continues to take on clients across the Midwest, she hopes to expand her presence in Ames and central Iowa as well.

Kailey credits her mom, her grandmothers, and her Iowa State professors for shaping her journey and being her biggest supporters. “My grandmas have all my original artwork in their houses,” she smiled. “They don’t always understand what I do, but they’ve always been there front and center.” Her professors, she added, helped her shift from instinct-driven work to process-driven design. “They challenged me to think critically about every choice I made. Now, I can say I have a clear system and strategy behind everything I design.”

With her hands full and her mind set on scaling her studio, Kailey is grateful to be doing what she loves—even as a full-time student. “Design has never felt like work to me. I feel lucky that this is what I get to do every day.”

If you’re looking for strong, strategic, and visually bold branding, Kailey would love to work with you. She’s especially eager to connect with new clients in in the area who are ready to elevate their visual identity.

Learn more at www.boldedkstudio.com follow Kailey’s journey on Instagram: @boldedkstudio, and be sure to attend Demo Day on July 31 to meet Kailey and the other members of CYstarters cohort 10!

Check out our video interview with Kailey Stevens below!