Otto was born and raised in Estes Park, Colorado. He studied welding at Front Range Community College, a degree in Forged Architectural Ironwork at The American College of the Building Arts in Charleston, South Carolina, and attended the Artist Blacksmithing program at Hereford College of Arts in Herefordshire, England. His experience was honed with 5 to 8-month internships during the summers with James Makely at Living Design Studios forging and fabricating architectural details, DeSantis metal art creating colorful aluminum sculpture, Ann Vogt Jewelry learning the basics of silversmithing, and with David Norrie at David Norrie Studios designing and forging custom architectural pieces. He used his free time in Charleston to create a blacksmiths dream garage shop with Dakota Myers, while living in England he used breaks in classes to travel by train through 13 countries in Europe, visiting blacksmithing shops, learning, and working for a wide variety of smiths along the way.

Finally landing back in Colorado as the Owner and full-time blacksmith at Innovation Forge and instructor at Forge with Intention Blacksmith school. In May 2022 Otto became a certified National Curriculum instructor, CBA instructor, and Level 3 Certification. He now teaches Blacksmithing nationally as well as producing custom forged metalwork.