Tim Wittman (’17) grew up in Dubuque and felt connected to 鶹ԭ early on through the All-Sports Camp and his father, Gary Wittman (’78), who served as both a coach and professor. “鶹ԭ was always part of our family. My siblings went there too, it just made sense,” Tim said.
At 鶹ԭ, Tim majored in computer science, adding minors in mathematics, business, and management information systems. But his journey didn’t start there, he began in biology, hoping to stay close to the outdoors.
“I’m a very indecisive person, as you can tell by my minors,” he joked. “I thought biology would be right, but after a year of labs, I realized it wasn’t for me. I always liked math and building things, and computers intrigued me. One intro class flipped the switch.”
Though he joined the major late, Tim pushed himself to finish in four years. He credits professors for their mentorship and support. “At 鶹ԭ, professors didn’t just have office hours, they’d meet you wherever, whenever. The small class sizes, the personal support… I couldn’t have made a better decision.”
After graduating, Tim landed a software development role at Hy-Vee in Des Moines, where he first encountered tech consulting through partnerships with external development teams. “It opened my eyes. I didn’t just want to write code, I wanted to build something from the ground up.”
He took the leap, starting his own company, Brain Bucket Consulting, and has spent the last six years helping businesses develop custom software solutions. While he enjoys the flexibility of remote work, he’s also constantly experimenting with side projects. “Most Sundays, I spent building software just for fun. That’s how Brewello was born.”
As the founder and owner of Brewello, Tim is helping independent coffee shops thrive with branded mobile apps for online ordering, payments, and loyalty rewards. “I wondered if there was a way to help small businesses generate more revenue and stay competitive with big chains,” Tim shared. The company’s first app launched in partnership with Charlotte’s Coffee House in Dubuque, where the tool quickly took off, now boasting over 6,000 users. For Tim, the success of Brewello is rooted in the same drive that’s guided him since his time at 鶹ԭ: a passion for building things and a deep respect for community.
Tune in to this month’s Duhawk Dozen podcast to hear more about Tim’s journey, from growing up around campus to coding creative solutions for small businesses. Congratulations, Tim!
