Augusta native Krista Marks' journey to a job with Disney wasn't a stroll through the Hundred Acre Wood. She got there through a career in engineering, first developing electronics for cancer treatment devices and then selling high-speed communication network technology.

For two years, Ms. Marks was the chief executive for a Colorado-based Internet media company called Kerpoof. In July, Disney bought out Ms. Marks and her partners, making her the general manager of a Disney division that is now launching creativity and self-expression features based on her company's technology.

"In some ways, it seems like an unusual path. I love to tell people about my past because I think we do a terrible job telling kids what a great job engineering is, how creative it is," Ms. Marks said. "When you understand engineering is creating iPods and computer electronics, MRI machines, everything around us ... then a creativity site for kids makes sense."

Kerpoof.com is a Web site for kids to create pictures, freehand drawings, animated films and reading cards. Ms. Marks and some colleagues left a tech company to form their own company focused on the concept of bringing the interactivity of desktop software to the Web browser.

"We originally thought of things for adults, but someone said the people who are most creative are kids," Ms. Marks said.

Kerpoof's owners turned down one buyout offer before Disney approached them, she said. They allowed the entertainment giant to acquire them because it had a similar vision on child creativity.

For example, when kids visit Disney.com pages, they will be able to create their own customized pictures and print them as coloring-book pages.

Ms. Marks earned her bachelor of science in electrical engineering from the University of South Carolina. She was honored in 1992 for being on a team that did pioneering work in three-dimensional radiotherapy for cancer patients.

Though she has no children, she said she is passionate about getting children interested in engineering. She helped to establish a regional robotics competition in Denver and serves as a judge for robotics and Lego League competitions.

"People don't equate engineering with making a difference in the world," she said. "It is a rewarding job where you create value in the world."