Melanie Perkins facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Melanie Perkins
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Perkins in 2019
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| Born | 1987 (age 38–39) Perth, Western Australia
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| Education | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation | Technology entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | Co-founder and CEO of Canva |
| Spouse(s) |
Cliff Obrecht
(m. 2021) |
Melanie Perkins (born in 1987) is an Australian technology entrepreneur. She is famous for co-founding Canva. Canva is a popular online platform for graphic design. She started it with Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams. Melanie is also the company's chief executive officer (CEO). Before Canva, she co-founded Fusion Books, which helped schools create yearbooks online.
In 2023, Melanie Perkins was recognized as one of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes. She was also listed as 92nd in Fortune's list of Most Powerful Women that same year.
Contents
Melanie Perkins: From School Projects to Global Design
Early Life and Creative Beginnings
Melanie Perkins was born in 1987 in Perth, Western Australia. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was an engineer. She went to Sacred Heart College for high school. During her school years, Melanie was very dedicated to figure skating. She also started a small business selling handmade scarves. This showed her early interest in creating things and running a business.
After high school, Melanie studied at the University of Western Australia. She focused on communications, psychology, and commerce. At the same time, she tutored students in graphic design. Melanie noticed that traditional design tools were hard to learn. This made her want to find simpler, web-based ways for people to design. At just 19 years old, she left university to start a new company with Cliff Obrecht.
Starting Her First Business: Fusion Books
In 2007, Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht launched Fusion Books. This company offered an easy way for schools to make yearbooks. They used an online editor where you could drag and drop elements. It also had a library of ready-made templates. Fusion Books became very successful in Australia. Later, it expanded to New Zealand and France.
Creating Canva: A Design Revolution
In the early 2010s, Melanie and Cliff started to develop an idea for a bigger design platform. They wanted to make design accessible to everyone. They met an investor named Bill Tai during a trip to Perth. Through Lars Rasmussen, who helped guide the project, they met Cameron Adams. Cameron was a former designer at Google. He joined in 2012 and became Canva's third co-founder and chief product officer.
Canva officially launched to the public in 2013. It quickly became very popular. The company has been profitable as it grew around the world. Canva helps millions of people create amazing designs easily.
Life Outside Work
Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht got married in January 2021. Their wedding took place on Rottnest Island. Later that year, they joined the Giving Pledge. This is a promise to donate at least half of their wealth to help others. They want to use their success to make a positive difference in the world.
In May 2025, the Australian Financial Review estimated Melanie and Cliff's combined wealth. It was about A$14.14 billion. In February 2026, Forbes estimated Melanie Perkins' personal wealth at US$7.6 billion.
