This is us

A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley, California-based naming and writing studio.

The company was founded in 1990 by Danny Altman after leaving the pioneering design/ad agency Altman + Manley. Danny’s son, Eli, grew up around the studio and joined full-time in 2009, becoming Creative Director in 2012. Rose Linke and Ben Weis joined the team in 2009 and 2011.

Rose Linke,
Creative Director

Rose is a writer and editor who grew up on the freeways of Los Angeles and now walks the hills of San Francisco. She’s been running naming and messaging projects at A Hundred Monkeys for 15 years. Before joining the team, she studied art history and library science, and worked in museums, galleries, libraries, and restaurants. She started keeping a list of favorite words when she was ten.

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Eli Altman,
Managing Director
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Eli grew up drawing and writing in Northern California. He ran his first naming project at 16 years old and has been naming ever since. Eli is the author of Don’t Call It That, Run Studio Run, and is the co-creator of Go Name Yourself. He has talked naming and branding with The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and the Guardian. Before joining A Hundred Monkeys, Eli was a brand strategist leading the naming practice at MetaDesign, San Francisco.

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Ben Weis,
Strategy Director
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Ben is a Vermonter who’s found Northern California to be quite hospitable. He’s run a couple hundred naming, writing, and brand strategy projects for clients of all shapes and sizes, including a long-term engagement with Samsung. Previously, Ben was an art student, a chocolatier, and a sailmaker. When he’s not at home in the garden or playing music, he might be poking around a regional park or in the High Sierra looking for peace and wildlife.

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Liam Humble,
Senior Creative Lead

Liam joined A Hundred Monkeys in 2016. Having studied and worked at UCLA, he has a background in writing, communications, and graphic design. Liam was raised in Northern California by two educators and has the finger paintings to prove it.

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Patrick Keenan,
Senior Creative Lead

Patrick is a Senior Creative Lead who has been with A Hundred Monkeys since 2017. He is a father, surfer, writer—in that order.

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Nora Trice,
Senior Creative Lead

Originally from Chicago, Nora is mostly San Franciscan—although she’d be a different person without those formative midwestern winters. She came to A Hundred Monkeys in 2017 from the world of performing arts, bringing her creative muscles and ability to see any challenge from all angles.

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Davis,
Workplace Safety Officer

Davis joined the team in 2014, energetically patrolling the office for new objects, workplace safety issues, and stray meats. He has yet to contribute in a creative capacity but you never know.

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