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.
Colin Witt has always been a builder. Growing up in Prior Lake, Minnesota, he spent his childhood designing, tinkering, and diving headfirst into many creative projects, LEGO sets, robotics clubs through local schools, and eventually 3D printing with his older brother. “I got involved with robotics at a young age and took that throughout high school,” Colin shared. “That really led me to believe that I belonged in engineering.”
Now heading into his junior year at Iowa State University, Colin is majoring in mechanical engineering and balancing a full plate. When he’s not building products or shipping orders, he’s playing club volleyball, pursuing photography, or spending time exploring the world of design software and product development. But what sets Colin apart is how he’s brought those interests together to launch his business, Outwitt Creations, a 3D printing company born from a single problem and now growing into a unique brand of custom lighting solutions.
Colin’s first exposure to entrepreneurship came long before Outwitt Creations. Like many kids with an entrepreneurial spark, he tried it all—lemonade stands, selling origami crafts and duct tape wallets to his friends. He’d watched “Shark Tank,” admired how people turned creative ideas into real businesses, and always thought he’d enjoy doing the same, he just never had the “big idea.” That changed in 2021 during the pandemic, when his dad purchased a RadWagon™ 4 electric cargo bike and discovered a problem: the kickstand rattled while riding. Instead of settling for the flaw, his dad challenged Colin and his brother to come up with a solution. Colin designed a small 3D-printed device to keep the kickstand in place—and it worked perfectly. Pleased with the result, his dad encouraged him to list it on Etsy. Colin’s first product went live.
StandKeeper for RadWagon 4.
Surprisingly, he discovered that many other owners of the RedWagon 4 had the same problem, which led to many sales of the StandKeeper. Selling his first product was a simple but powerful moment that sparked the beginning of his entrepreneurial path. Colin realized how much he loved the process: visualizing a solution, designing it in CAD, 3D printing it, and seeing it come to life. Even more rewarding was the feeling of seeing someone buy his product. “Knowing that somebody is paying their hard-earned money for something I made is super cool,” he said. His dad, always a DIY enthusiast and builder himself, had been a major influence in cultivating that creative mindset. “He was really encouraging,” Colin said. “He challenged us to keep pushing ourselves with designing and creating things.”
That early success on Etsy led Colin to expand his product line with a few more niche items, including a travel stand for a specific razor model and a unique Apple Watch stand and charger, shaped like a hand. But Colin quickly realized that niche solutions, while fun to design, were difficult to scale. So he started looking toward broader markets and landed on lighting. Today, Outwitt Creations specializes in unique, functional lighting products, including custom neon signs, lightboxes, and a rotating “Spin Lamp” that adjusts brightness with a twist of the shade. The designs are clean, clever, and fully customizable, made using high-quality LED strips and precision 3D-printed frames. Best of all, Colin can 3D print everything on demand, offering fast turnaround times without the need for inventory.
When he was accepted into the CYstarters accelerator program this summer, Colin knew it was time to see what he could really do with his business. One of his first moves was to invest in another 3D printer to keep up with demand. He also began building his independent brand, launching a full Shopify storefront at www.outwittcreations.com, and establishing a social media presence to showcase his custom creations. “Being on Etsy was great at first, but I realized I couldn’t really develop a brand there,” he explained. “I was just a listing my very niche products among thousands of others. The push I got from CYstarters to move to Shopify was one of the most important steps I’ve taken.”
Throughout the summer, Colin set SMART goals: to create four new products, drive traffic to his website through Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, and get his store up and running. Along the way, he’s also faced challenges. Most notably, idea generation. His business began by solving a very specific problem, but finding new ideas at that level of specificity doesn’t happen every day. “I’ve learned you have to constantly be critical of the world around you, always asking, ‘Is there a better way to do this?’” he said. “Talking to people, listening to what annoys or frustrates them is where the best ideas come from.”
One of Colin’s proudest moments came when he finished building his first neon sign. He had no idea how to make one initially and had to teach himself everything from sourcing the right parts to learning how to solder and wire it all together. “When I finally turned it on, printed and assembled, it was one of my happiest moments in business,” he said. “It was just really cool to see the final product.”
As someone with deep technical skills but limited business experience, Colin has found the CYstarters environment invaluable. “I’m an engineer, so I don’t have a ton of background in business,” he said. “This program introduced me to people who could help with those things and gave me the encouragement to move forward.” He’s appreciated the supportive and creative atmosphere and says one of his biggest takeaways is the importance of consistency. “Sometimes I’ll work 10 hours a day for five days straight, and then it’s tempting to take a long break. But I’ve learned I need to stay focused.”
To hold himself accountable, Colin keeps a tally on his fridge for each day he’s worked on his business. If he misses one, he wipes the count clean and starts over. “It keeps me motivated. I know if I want to see growth, I have to keep showing up.”
Looking ahead, Colin hopes to continue expanding his product line and refining the Outwitt Creations brand. He’s building something exciting, and doing it entirely on his own terms.
You can support Colin by following @outwitt_creations on Instagram and visiting www.outwittcreations.com to check out his innovative lighting products. You can also meet him in person at CYstarters Demo Day tomorrow, July 31, where he and the rest of the cohort will showcase the progress they’ve made on their businesses this summer.
Check out our video interview with Colin Witt below!
