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If you have attempted to make a professional looking poster, a presentation or some professional looking post for social media, chances are you are using Canva for it all. But, did you know that Canva was started by an Asian Australian? If you didn’t well now you know. Her name is Melanie Perkins and together with her now hubby COO Cliff Obrecht and chief product officer Cameron Adams they founded Canva back in 2013.
Who Is Melanie Perkins?
- Just a few years ago, Perkins was named as the youngest billionaire in Australia. She is also now one of the richest;
- Perkins and hubby Obrecht have a net worth of around $6.8 billion;
- Perkins is only 34 years old and in January 2021, tied the knot with her co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht on an island in Sydney;
- Perkins has a very mixed cultural background. Her father is Malaysian (Sri Lankan descent) Australian background and her mother is local Aussie and part Filipino;
- Perkins and her hubby plan to donate their wealth away, and have set up foundations to accommodate all their donations and contributions;
- Perkins is one of the wealthiest women in the world;
- Perkins is a uni drop out and Canva is her 2nd start up;
Canva’s Establishment
- Canva is currently valued at $15 billion;
- Canva is a global company with its head office based in Sydney;
- Canva has not gone public and is still a private company;
- Before Canva was established, Perkins was rejected by 100 venture capitalists;
- Canva’s current venture capitalists are Hollywood celebrities which include Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson;
- Canva’s staff all own shares in the company’s valuation;
For Asian Australian women planning to set up their own businesses and opportunities, take Perkins as someone to aspire to be.
Images via Instagram and Canva