Get to know the people behind BeFunky
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.
Derric got his BA in Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts which led him to the entertainment industry… 15+ years on the radio and 7+ years in television production. Derric started at BeFunky in 2012 doing support and social media, now he's the Product Manager. When he's not napping at his desk, you'll find Derric surfing out at Seaside, running his mouth on 94/7fm, or taking Betty White (his dog) for scooter rides.
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.
Rouli has more than 7 years of experience in designing digital products with an expertise in creating compelling user experiences and intuitive products across multiple platforms.
She is very passionate about creating beautiful, intuitive, and crafted design solutions with emerging technologies. She likes to create products that are enjoyable to use, innovative, and that deliver a great experience. She believes in simple and clean designs.
Bjørn spent the first part of his life in Norway, where the winters were harsh and the summers were less so. There is a limit to how much fish, potatoes and beauty a person can endure, and upon reaching that point Bjørn decided to move to America's heartland, which turned out to be the polar opposite of that to which he had become accustomed. It was there he came to appreciate the simpler pleasures in life, like air-conditioning, screen doors, and riding in the back of pickup trucks.
Bjørn was lucky enough to have one of the country's leading universities in his backyard, so upon reaching that age, deciding which school to attend was a no-brainer. His studies were eclectic and covered a broad spectrum, ranging from computer science and game development to multimedia and film. Upon completing his Masters, Bjørn continued his studies independently, always seeking new ways to solve problems or present ideas. He's never been one to allow his vision to narrow, thus his interests are still widely eclectic. When he's not writing code, it's likely he's either out shooting pictures, creating visual effects, or making stained-glass windows.
Micah was born in Kingston, grew up in Maryland, went to middle school in Colombia and high school in Ohio; he's still not sure where he's from, but is glad for the perspective on wealth and community he's gained from living abroad. Micah studied physics in college, where he got hooked on programming in a mobile apps elective. He headed up web development at Goshen College, his alma mater, before joining BeFunky.
These days Micah focuses primarily on front-end performance and reliability at BeFunky. He's a perfectionist and enjoys working on a team that cares deeply about usability and performance. Micah hopes to teach computer science someday and is currently reading a lot about functional programming and machine learning. In his spare time, he's building a “smart gnome” which will greet unsuspecting people on his front porch.
Whitney is a born-and-raised Oregonian, sometimes singer, and cake connoisseur. She is currently earning her Bachelor's Degree in marketing from Portland State University, although she wishes she would have chosen to study at Hogwarts. Before coming to earn her keep at BeFunky, she held many different job titles, including stints as a flight attendant, cake decorator, and optician. She now helps out with the social media content and marketing support around here, aka she is learning how to be a marketing ninja.
When she isn't working or falling asleep on her textbooks, you might find her running the trails of Forest Park or perfecting the art of cooking for two. She is a lover of theme parks, exploring the great outdoors, and watching Marvel movies (especially ones with Thor).
Hailing from Vermont, a.k.a. the ice coast, Ben relocated to Portland back in 2015 after finishing his BA in Music Industry. Since then, Ben has gained a variety of experience in customer success and digital marketing, landing him a role with BeFunky.
While friends may refer to Ben as a “cool cat,” do not mistake this for his canine loyalty; he's a devoted dog dad to a 6 year old Husky and Jedi-Prince-In-Training, Oakley. In his spare time, Ben is a humble music aficionado. From bashing drums, to songwriting and producing, Ben finds pleasure in toothbrush humming any Justin Vernon tune. You can also catch Ben and his Jedi-Prince companion strapping in at the top of Mt. Hood Meadows over any winter weekend, enjoying some of Portland's finest brews, taking in everything Oregon (a.k.a the light side of the force) has to offer.
Before completing his BA in Music & Writing, Robb's passion for art, culture and music inspired him to form an indie rock trio called mr.hand. After the band self-released their LP on Mahakala Records, Robb left the rolling hills of Athens, Ohio and drove cross country to sunny Los Angeles where he became a pioneering intern at Grand Royal Records & Magazine: a partnership label between the Beastie Boys and Capitol Records.
After gigging around the music industry with stints at Mean Magazine, Capitol and EMI, Robb progressed onto a different path focusing on tech startups, spearheading new standards and innovation in quality assurance and content management. Robb has spent the past 17 years working with creative, business and tech teams on the rollout of groundbreaking platforms for Intel, Wieden+Kennedy, Sphere.com, Verse.com, and now BeFunky.


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