How Melanie Perkins Built Canva and Changed Design Forever

Did you know that graphic design once felt complicated, expensive, and out of reach—until Melanie Perkins, a determined student from Perth, Australia, changed the world of creation forever? As the visionary Canva founder, their ambition was clear: 

bring professional-quality design to everyone, not just the few with specialized skills or deep pockets. Today, thanks to Melanie Perkins’s journey from college student to female CEO in tech and billionaire entrepreneur, Canva stands as a global beacon for female-led innovation in the tech startup world.

Melanie Perkins’s Early Life: Seeds of an Entrepreneur

Melanie Perkins was born in Perth in 1987 and was raised by parents of diverse backgrounds—her mother, of Filipino descent, and her father, an Australian of Sri Lankan and Malaysian heritage. Early mornings at the rink for figure skating practice taught them the value of goal-setting and hard work. At just 14, Melanie ran their first business, selling handmade scarves throughout Perth’s marketplaces. 

This experience sparked an entrepreneurial fire that would shape the rest of their life and set the foundation for the Canva success story.

Education and The Eureka Moment

Enrolling at the University of Western Australia, Melanie studied Communications Psychology and Commerce. While working as a graphic design tutor, they noticed repeatedly how students struggled with tools like Adobe Photoshop. “People would have to spend an entire semester learning where the buttons were, and that seemed completely ridiculous,” they told CNBC International. They imagined a simple, online, collaborative design tool—one that would be far easier to use and accessible for all.

Fusion Books: Where It All Began

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Lacking technical expertise didn’t stop Melanie and their future husband and partner, Cliff Obrecht, from pursuing their dream. Instead, they focused their vision on a specific niche: high school yearbooks. Fusion Books, launched out of Melanie’s mother’s living room when Melanie was only 19, let entire classes collaborate on yearbooks, simplifying both the design and printing process. With a $50,000 family loan and software help from Greg Mitchell, Fusion Books grew across Australia—and later, to France and New Zealand.

Despite their success, Melanie remained driven by a bigger mission: create a simple, all-in-one design platform for the world—the earliest seeds of what would become Canva.

The Art of Selling a Dream: From Perth to Silicon Valley

Melanie’s determination led them thousands of miles from home to pitch their ambitious idea in Silicon Valley. A pivotal moment was a chance meeting with Bill Tai, a prominent U.S. venture capitalist, who encouraged them to keep refining their pitch—and their kitesurfing skills, since many of his networking events revolved around the sport. “When you don’t have any connections, you just have to wedge your foot in the door and wiggle it all the way through,” Melanie recalls.

Securing initial interest was only the beginning. Tai wanted Melanie to find world-class technical co-founders. With support from tech luminary Lars Rasmussen, Melanie embarked on a relentless search for the perfect team, enduring a year’s worth of rejections. Their persistence paid off when they partnered with Cameron Adams and Dave Hearnden, both former Google engineers, who helped bring the vision to life.

The Launch of Canva: Disruption and Early Challenges

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After years of pitching, team building, and fundraising, Canva launched in 2013. Melanie was just 26 when they became Canva’s co-founder and CEO. The early days weren’t smooth—negative press coverage initially dampened their excitement. But the platform’s unique blend of user-friendly, collaborative tools quickly caught on. By 2018, Canva reached a $1 billion valuation, making Melanie one of the world’s youngest self-made female tech unicorn CEOs. 

Today, Canva boasts a $25 billion valuation and over 165 million users worldwide, a testament to the power of women in tech and the transformative nature of female-driven ideas.

Strategic Growth: Innovation, Virality, and Global Expansion

What made Canva’s success story so singular? Strategic patience and, at times, difficult decisions. Melanie and the team delayed product launch for two years to perfect the technology underneath, prioritizing simultaneous collaboration, scalable infrastructure, and multilingual localization (expanding to over 100 languages). This technical foundation enabled explosive, global growth.

By offering a highly functional free version and seamless upgrades for businesses, Canva drew in a passionate user base. The company designed its features for viral sharing—each new template, suite, or tool organically fueled further adoption. This led to the release of groundbreaking features like the Visual Suite, Magic Studio, and their open developer platform. Today, fashion watches for women may be trending accessories, but in the digital world, Canva became the “must-have” resource for creation.

Melanie Perkins as a Female CEO in Tech: Breaking Barriers

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Melanie’s rise is especially notable in an industry where, historically, female founders have been rare—especially leading companies to global “unicorn” status. By focusing on users’ needs, humility, and innovation, Melanie helped redefine what female leadership looks like and inspired a new generation of women in STEM. Canva’s founder, Melanie Perkins, is hailed as a role model for female CEOs in tech, showing that ambition, integrity, and resilience can change entire industries.

Facing Challenges, Setting Bold Goals

Early on, critical strategic decisions—like shipping delays and major investments in localization—were difficult but essential for long-term success. “Those two years were probably the least fun, but they set the groundwork for everything we are able to do today,” Melanie explained. By being global-first in both product and mindset, Canva ensured its platform felt local everywhere it operates.

Their vision for the next decade? Universal creativity. “We want to empower literally every person to design literally everything with every ingredient in every language on every device,” Melanie announced. With new advances, Canva aims to bridge every creative gap, allowing everyone—from solo freelancers to large corporations—to innovate without barriers.

Canva’s Global Impact and Philanthropy

Beyond commercial success, Canva is leveraging its position for global good. Through the 1% Pledge, Canva donates product, time, profits, and equity to causes fighting poverty and inequality worldwide. Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht have pledged 30% of their personal Canva equity toward combating extreme poverty, already launching multi-million dollar direct cash transfer programs to communities in need. “Cash gives people the freedom to choose what matters most to them,” Melanie says—a powerful demonstration of conscious business at work.

Recognition and Awards

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Canva’s workplace culture and product excellence have garnered top industry awards, including “Overall Design Collaboration Company of the Year,” third place on Forbes’ Cloud 100, and recognition from Fast Company as the 10th most innovative company in the world. Their Glassdoor employer rating stands at 4.4 out of 5, with nearly 90% of employees recommending Canva as a workplace—a testament to their leadership and vision.

The Legacy of Canva and Its Founder

In just over a decade, Melanie Perkins’s vision transformed the graphic design world. From selling scarves at 14 to leading a $25 billion company, their story is a masterclass in perseverance, self-belief, and the strategic power of simplicity. They proved that with courage, adaptability, and a user-first mindset, female-led innovation in the tech startup world can change global industries and create a ripple effect of empowerment.

Today, Canva remains on the cutting edge—constantly evolving, relentlessly democratizing design, and giving every person the ability to create, share, and inspire, no matter where they live or what resources they have, thanks to the bold ambition of one of the most remarkable women in tech of our era.