Melanie Perkins is an Australian technology entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief executive of Canva, the online graphic design platform used by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. She started the company in 2013 with Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams, and has led it from an early-stage startup into one of the most valuable privately held software companies in the world.
Perkins is widely recognized for building a global software business from Australia rather than a traditional technology hub, and for the years she spent pitching investors before Canva gained momentum. Her public biography is collected on her Wikipedia page, and Canva''s own story is told at canva.com.
Who Melanie Perkins is
Melanie Perkins was born in 1987 in Perth, Western Australia, to an Australian-born teacher and a Malaysian engineer. She started a small business selling handmade scarves while still at school and later enrolled at the University of Western Australia, where she studied communications, psychology, and commerce. She left university at 19 to pursue a startup with Cliff Obrecht, who would become both her business partner and, later, her husband.
While at university she also tutored students in graphic design, and she has said the steep learning curve of traditional design software gave her the idea for a simpler, web-based alternative. That insight shaped both of the companies she went on to build and remains the core idea behind Canva: making design approachable for people without technical training.
Background and Fusion Books
In 2007, Perkins and Obrecht founded Fusion Books, a service that let schools design and order yearbooks using an online drag-and-drop editor and a library of templates. The two ran the business from home in its early years, handling design, printing logistics, and customer support themselves as it grew.
Fusion Books became one of the largest yearbook companies in Australia and later expanded to New Zealand and France. The experience proved that ordinary users could create polished, printable designs in a browser with no special software, and it gave Perkins and Obrecht both the confidence and the working model to attempt something far broader.
Founding Canva and her role
Perkins and Obrecht wanted to apply the Fusion Books approach to design in general, but spent several years seeking investment before the idea took hold. They eventually connected with technology investors and with Cameron Adams, a former Google designer who joined as the third co-founder and chief product officer. Canva launched publicly in 2013 with a free, easy-to-use editor at its center.
As chief executive, Perkins has guided Canva''s growth through repeated funding rounds, international expansion, and a major push into generative AI tools under the Magic Studio name. The company has reported a user base in the hundreds of millions and a valuation that places it among the most valuable private software companies anywhere, while Obrecht serves as chief operating officer and Adams as chief product officer.
Focus and philanthropy
Perkins has framed Canva around a long-term mission of empowering people to design and communicate visually, and she frequently speaks about the years of rejection the founders faced before the company succeeded. She has appeared on lists of the world''s most powerful women in business and is one of Australia''s most visible self-made technology entrepreneurs.
In 2021, Perkins and Obrecht joined the Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes, and they have said they intend to direct most of their Canva ownership toward doing good in the world. That commitment, made while both remained in their thirties, has become a defining part of how Perkins describes the purpose behind the company she leads.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Melanie Perkins?
Melanie Perkins is an Australian technology entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief executive of Canva, the online graphic design platform she started in 2013.
What did Melanie Perkins do before Canva?
She co-founded Fusion Books in 2007 with Cliff Obrecht, an online yearbook company that became one of the largest in Australia and gave her the model for browser-based design.
Who co-founded Canva with Melanie Perkins?
Canva was co-founded by Perkins, Cliff Obrecht, and Cameron Adams. Perkins is chief executive, Obrecht is chief operating officer, and Adams is chief product officer.
Has Melanie Perkins signed the Giving Pledge?
Yes. In 2021, Perkins and Cliff Obrecht joined the Giving Pledge, committing to give away most of their fortune to philanthropic purposes.
Where is Melanie Perkins based?
She is based in Australia, where Canva is headquartered in Sydney. She was born in 1987 in Perth, Western Australia.
Photo of Melanie Perkins via Web Summit, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. For more on the tools her company competes with, see our guide to the best AI tools for business.
