The Sweatshop

What do you do when this face shows up on your doorstep? We gave him a big hug, and he's been part of the BeFunky team ever since. He arrived one day with his diploma from Cambridge in hand along with a note that declared his ambition to become the CEO of BeFunky. For now we've made him an intern, and he seems pretty content fetching endless rounds of coffee for us at the moment. Each day his friend, Natasha Carlin, walks him home so naturally we thought she might be able to solve the mystery that is Blü, but instead his story just got weirder. Apparently he appeared in a dream of hers one night, then when she headed off to her classes Academy of Art University in the morning, she discovered him on her couch eating Twix bars.

If you or anyone you know has any information about Blu please let the BeFunky team know!

While Azer has been helping create the amazing effects at BeFunky since it started, that's not where his story begins. Earlier in his life he lived like a vagabond, and he quite liked it that way because he's intrigued by underground lifestyles. While he's someone who has always had a good sense of intuition, he credits these early experiences with strengthening his. Today he believes that it's this quality that helps him make the various products for BeFunky so instinctual for its users.

Azer's curiosity about the many machines he was surrounded by in high school led to his first engagements with computers. He quickly got sucked into the programming field; he wrote codes with Commodore 64 and IBM, then later sold a significant amount of software. He believes that being a programmer that comes from an old-school, algorithmic background is part of what helps him to transfer ideas into the digital platform so well. Today Azer is very experienced in artificial intelligence type algorithms and focuses on flexibility while developing software.

Cem has managerial experience in various kinds of tech related fields such as value-added mobile services, business development, automation systems, and many others that can be summed up with technical, mumbo-jumbo words. The most important part of his story is that one fine day he woke up and found himself feeling funky. He had recently met some amazing people who had made it their mission to help anyone and everybody be funky. As he started to work and feel the groove at the BeFunky offices, Cem realized that it was the place he had been looking for all along. Some people call him Project Manager, some djvicvega, others call him Funky Cold Medina. The bottom line is that Cem is passionate about music, record collecting, DJing, reading, Ableton Live, and staying funky.

Though she has lots of experience as both a professional Photographer and Photo Editor, Darlene's love affair with photography began when she was just a teenager. This early interest helped her form a deep knowledge base on the subject that now ranges from photojournalism to old-school alternative photography methods. Today she feels lucky to use her expertise helping other people get creative in the medium. Though you'll still find her taking pictures or hunkered down in a darkroom in her spare time, you can also catch her feeding her current obsessions with live music, pudding in all its forms, her Baby Cat, making the perfect pie, starting impromptu dance parties, and reading on hammocks.

Once upon a time Derric cultivated a strong online following as a Radio Personality, which is what led to his big career change to the world of social media. He comes to BeFunky with experience as a professional photographer, a TV Producer, and a janitor. When he's not taking out the trash at the BeFunky offices in San Francisco, he's posting all those photos and fun links to BeFunky's social networks. In his free time you'll find him surfing at Ocean Beach, behind the camera at KOFY TV, photographing concerts, or saying stuff on the radio waves at LIVE105.

One day, Haki found something to help him escape the complications and hustle of everyday life: coding. A cigar in his mouth, a cup of tea nearby, and the sounds of the keyboard are what he finds truly brings him peace.

Some don't consider Haki to be a very ordinary guy, mostly because he's always questioning those pesky things called rules and regulations. This has made his life considerably more difficult since our modern society is filled with them. Haki particularly had trouble finding a school that suited him—he switched between two different high schools and three universities until he was satisfied and finished his studies in computer science. After meeting a woman and falling in love, he did however discover that there is one form of social framework he is grateful for —marriage—which he plans on trying out very soon. When he’s not in front of a computer, Haki's enjoys studying the work of people like the mathematician G.H. Hardy, or authors Friedrich Nietzsche and Fyodor Dostoevsky..

With an MBA from Sabanci University and 10 years of professional experience, Tekin has built his career around e-business, digital brand management, and interactive advertising. Prior to starting BeFunky in 2007, Tekin wore many hats as the Business Development Manager of McCann Relationship Marketing Turkey, a leading multinational company focusing on digital brand management. Among his multitude of responsibilities, one thing he focused on there was delivering interactive experiences for clients. After realizing one day that he was tired of working for someone else’s company, his passion for digital media led him to establish the company BeFunky and a team that will always feel funky.

When Tekin isn't at the office, you might find him at his local grocery store hunting for the freshest ingredients to cook with. Though he's not bound to any specific cookbook or website, his creations are often influenced by his family’s Aegean roots and culinary habits. He also loves traveling with his wife and taking pictures during their adventures. He especially likes exploring Spain and seeking out the best spots for local food, wine, and flavors.