The Monkey is not a mascot. He doesn't like bananas or swinging from vines. He's like our chief innovation officer: he points us to the future and puts the shazam into everything we do. He's the one who goes into the back room and comes out hours later with, like, singed eyebrows and a demonstration involving toner cartridges and non-dairy creamer. And pretty soon we find ourselves crushing another cool photo editing feature you never knew you always wanted.

Most ironic mod: rigging an electric massage tool to wax and buff his muscle car

Significant brother: his hairless cat, Kojak

Moment of glory: winning a Karaoke contest at which he sang the periodic table of the elements

Will lecture for food: now taking bookings for “What others have learned from my speeches, lectures, and fireside chats around the world”

Despite growing up off the grid (No TV! Solar heat! No phone!) Brian Terry got the tech bug early: he won a computer in an Apple programming contest at age 10. After getting a CS degree at Stanford, he coded Web apps at several startups, became a dev manager at Expedia, and was employee #1 at Picnik, where he wrote more than half of the code. Getting high and getting lost are family values for Terry: he and his wife climbed Kilimanjaro together and they love wilderness hikes with their two young boys.

2-for-1 jonesing fodder: Galen Rowell adventure photography

Probable influencer for vegetarianism: childhood cat who played with and then ate rattlesnakes

“127 Hours” wanna-be moment: stabbing himself with a crampon

Has to be leashed when discussing: car commuters who disrespect the spokes!

Jen Shetterly is no stranger to complexity, having designed some of Microsoft's most successful, most labyrinthine, most crazy-making products to work on. But the real complexity has been balancing the vagaries of a full-time work load with mothering her three children and still finding time for creative romps in photography, painting, and drawing. Shetterly is grateful to the fine ladies of “Real Housewives” who impart sage advice and helpful tips on a weekly basis!

Fave effects: Orton, Cross Process, Wrinkle Remover

Latest art project: design her own tattoo and decide where to put it!

You'll have to pry it from her cold, dead hands: Pepsi

Cooper got her start story editing and coordinating scripts at the Muppets. She produced kids and teen programs for NBC, ABC, and PBS. She moved to Seattle in the 90's to write and produce interactive television, online learning, and interactive fiction programs for Microsoft, and learn how to order complicated coffee drinks. At PicMonkey, Cooper makes words happen, and nervously awaits punishment for fake ones like “embetterment” and the scientifically lazy characterization of an ape referred to as The Monkey.

Roommates: two children, husband, and a dog who believes he is her husband

Past time pastime: dislocating her life at Seattle's onstage storytelling series “A Guide to Visitors”

Unnecessary degree, as it turned out:  M.A., Instructional Technology, Columbia University

Tony nominating moment: putting out a fire onstage while staying in character in 8th grade play

Brian Sharon entered the world of software with a fistful of physics degrees, but he hasn't had an urge to accelerate a particle since. His work writing code and leading engineering teams for digital imaging products and game titles has taken him from Seattle to Austin and as far as London. Back in Seattle now, he enjoys living in the ever-groovy Ballard neighborhood with his wife and right-brained daughter, who threatens to outshine him in their weekly guitar lessons.

Most bittersweet border: Polaroid, because he can't get film for his Spectra Pro anymore

Alter ego extraordinaire: dropping vinyl as “DJ Pootie-T” in Austin, Texas

Why he loves long commutes: a longer ride means more time on his bike

Tex-Mex or Cal-Mex: please do not insult the Texas with this comparison

Wolfe started her software career at Microsoft back when Al Gore had just invented the Interwebs. She honed her user experience design talents working on Money, Office, MSN, and Windows Live, among others, during her 13-year tenure. She rehabilitates stray animals and neglected houses, including every square inch of the 60's ranch she lives in with her (now) geriatric pets.

Most sleep-depriving avocation: night photography, a recent fixation

Fave effects: Boost, Cross Process, Holga

Handy chick initiation rite: installing a water pump in her car at age 16

First taste of altruism: delivering Meals on Wheels with her mom, when she was a kid

Hard-won advice for fellow feline lovers: cats don't dig acupuncture

Systems installations and software consulting for large financial institutions might not sound like a good onramp to digital photography, but Brenda Anderson had no idea she would end up where she is now. After 10 years in finance, she fell in love with a New Zealander, moved to his homeland, and pressed the restart button. She got into photography after they had kids, and became a Flickr group admin. PicMonkey is thrilled to have her onboard, remotely connecting to help people get the most out of their photos.

Often hears when the camera comes out: “Don't put me on the Internet, Mum!”

Favorite photo subject, after kids: New Zealand's colorful birds (with awesome names like Pukeko, Tui, and Kaka)

Celebrity sighting, in her genealogical tree: Celine Dion, 9th cousin

Best time on four strings: playing in her Ukelele orchestra, The South End Strummers

A good listener and a people pleaser, Jenn Wells was a natch for the customer service jobs that kicked off her career. Her first great job was working at the legendary Elliott Bay Book Company, where she developed her customer love mojo. Wells moved to TeachStreet.com, a tech startup that helped lifelong learners connect with independent teachers. When TeachStreet closed their doors, PicMonkey got the best community outreach specialist in this hemisphere. She's also an outdoor enthusiast and an urban culture vulture all rolled up into a foodie burrito.

Current photo project: printing all her photos from the past two years

Favorite backpack destination with a fairy tale name: the Enchantments, in Washington state

Why she never surfed in Hawaii: fear of eels and other creepy deep water creatures

Crawled under the B12 curtain to: defect from veganism, after years of allegiance

Growing up on a ranch in Wyoming not far from Custer's last stand, Whiton's immersion in the rugged realities of cattle raising was enough to fuel a lifetime of aversion. Why would you ride a horse when there are those cool things called motorcycles? He found his place in the digital landscape of his Apple 2E, and his camera and darkroom.

After college, Whiton began his software career as a tester and moved up the ladder at Expedia, Microsoft, Picnik, and Google. Whiton now manages PicMonkey's test and release cycles, and is the first one to queue up the morning tunes on the Sonos. Outside of work, he kicks up mountain bike dust when he's not wrestling with the kids or wine tasting with his lovely wife.

Ironic pay-back: three year old son who is crazy about tractors and horses

Two words for the glory of living outside the city: elbow room

Atavistic conundrum: why would you drive a car when there are these cool things called trucks?

Maria Kaufman's love of sports and dance led her to a master's degree and work in the field of health promotion. In 1999, she wasn't quite sure she was sleepless enough, so she got a job at Amazon.com cutting her teeth learning e-commerce and getting an M.B.A.  At Expedia, she created the ad platform for hoteliers, and then built up Picnik.com's ad business and moved with the team to Google. At PicMonkey, she's jazzed about developing native content with advertisers who want to charter new territory.

When the Tennessee accent comes out: phone calls with hometown friends and whenever she drops stuff

Most painful part of working in high tech: cutting herself making her own desk at Amazon.com

Cowboys she loves: her three children, Wyatt, Levi, and Ruby, not intentionally named to sound like characters in a Zane Gray novel

With summer jobs like updating weapon manuals in the Department of Defense, filing documents at the Teamsters union, and gutting fish on an Alaskan barge, Lisa Conquergood once seemed more qualified to be a “Fear Factor” contestant than the marketing professional she is today. After getting her MBA, she worked at Eddie Bauer, where she came to love making fast decisions on small, nimble teams. She had a stint at Expedia before moving to Picnik as the Chief Marketing Officer. Then onto Google with the rest of the Picnik team. Conquergood considers herself a relationship marketer, not a spreadsheet marketer, and she loves hearing what people want and then giving it to them.

Takes no insult being called: an adrenalin junkie

Got pantsed regularly by 5 year olds:  playing “Billybob” at ShowBiz Pizza Place

Love at first click: an antique Brownie camera given to her when she was ten