Canva: She founded a unicorn by 30. Now she's taking on the tech giants | Make It International

Melanie Perkins’ $3.2 billion design platform, Canva, is one of the world’s most valuable female-led start-ups. CNBC Make It’s Karen Gilchrist met with the 32-year-old Australian entrepreneur in Sydney to find out how she’s taking on tech giants Microsoft and Adobe.
-----
Subscribe to us on KZbin: cnb.cx/2wuoARM
Subscribe to CNBC International TV on KZbin: cnb.cx/2NGytpz
Like our Facebook page:
/ cnbcinternational
Follow us on Instagram:
/ cnbcinternational
Follow us on Twitter:
/ cnbci
#CNBC #StartUp #Canva

[@diandralarasati6621]

I might not understand how the whole start up takeover works, but Canva is certainly a godsend for a college student like me

[@shaheenshazz1211]

AMEN BROTHA

[@NathanKwadade]

How so?

[@linayr8]

@@NathanKwadade for me, you have a simple click to drag poster maker that is accessible online and easy to use unlike photoshop

[@adamherrera2064]

@@linayr8 "close to it" is nowhere near close for what the professionals do and what they can do with the tools that have been created by other professionals. It's like trying to say you can start a company using Wix freely when that isnt the case. When you set up a company, there are things that need to be paid for that you can only obtain via using a professional tool.

[@SahilP2648]

@Jean-Paul Teitu II I don't want to sound rude but 'having an interest' is not going to be good enough for you to get into programming, server infrastructure and machine learning. I say this as being a programmer myself. It's not like art where you just keep on practicing and eventually you will start drawing better and better. Obviously you learn more techniques when you actually start building apps. But understanding the foundations requires a certain way of thinking and good intellect. So unless you have those, you are better off not going in these fields in the first place.

[@lucasj893]

man, Canva is a life saver for social media people who aren't pro at graphic design softwares like Adobe. well deserved!

[@funny-video-YouTube-channel]

She and her team automated graphic design for all of us. That is how the design people now save time, while charging the same price to the customer :-)

[@chili24137]

That business won't hold up long for you, it's common business sense, if it's easier and quicker for you, it's easier and quicker for everyone, that means that people will undercut you to take your business and as a result you undercut them back, and that continues to occur until it's back at it's equilibrium of costing about the same amount of time/creativity it costs now. Good for canva though, they take some cash outta adobes pocket. Make sure to prepare :-)

[@EKWenndy]

U’ve spoken as a complete non-designer lmao

[@ehtishamamin5601]

@Big Foot that will never happen.....creative jobs will always be in demand......the technology will improve but that will only help the designers.

[@MobiusCoin]

@Big Foot The low end of the market is definitely going away but if you're good you will always be in demand.

[@ssjj005]

So it's basically helps you create a company's homepage automatically or something like that? Not really sure what they could help us.

[@Alfram]

I actually use canva quite often, it’s a great product tbh

[@the_number_one]

Canva was an unicorn :O

[@rossocorsa6577]

yeah but how tf it is a unicorn?

[@mrkrowl]

Yeah and it's free

[@gerjaison]

I am still using GIMP, and getting photos from anywhere.

[@superblitz2274]

@@rossocorsa6577 it has a valuation of more than 1b usd,hence it is an unicorn

[@rozyndeto]

I have used Canva to make my modeling rate cards. As a person with zero background in design, it was quite beginner friendly and helped me come across as a serious professional. Now to learn that a woman had the vision and drive to make it into what it is now is inspiring.

[@dipro001]

Her energy and focus on usability explains how and why Canva works so brilliantly. -Long term user who hosted 38 events using her tools.

[@asmita2318]

I love how enthusiastic and friendly the CEO sounds. And I love Canva. I use it everyday. Super easy and makes great social media post, certificate, cards, KZbin video Thumbnail and facebook banner.

[@phoenix5054]

At least she doesn’t wear a turtleneck, deliberately lower her voice, and make vague cliche statements about changing the world.

[@geekay9292]

It's no theranos, at least not yet, I suppose..

[@elijahporter4558]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@chinwevivianaliyu]

😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@jrrcn]

did you mean about making the world a better place?

[@Brucelee89896]

who are you referring too? 🤣

[@NokthulaMadondo]

No way, she's the founder of Canva? I love Canva, it's literally the best platform.

[@howeverandrew4526]

canva, you have saved a lot of time for millions of people. a big thank u

[@AnggiSahamCantik]

So this is the face behind Canva. She is amazing! 🥳🥳🥳

[@JiaFit]

Melanie seems so down to earth and friendly. I LOVE Canva, I practically live and breathe it daily! This is proof that the bigger the impact the more money you can make. It's always about the impact!

[@gtdforum]

I designed my company logo using canva. I promoted canva to all my relatives. One of my fav software of all time.

[@noahgunter9080]

I used to loose a lot trading cryptos until I met expert Joffrey back in 2018 ,he helped me open and manage multiple crypto trades which helped me recover all I lost in the market

[@noahgunter9080]

+ One,nine,five,one,three,three,eight,seven,one,seven,one1 9 5 1 3 3 8 7 1 7 1

[@noahgunter9080]

He is always available on Whatsapp

[@noahgunter9080]

You can also get him on tele gram at iwsmith

[@noahgunter9080]

You can tell him that Mark Collins gave you his contact to message and tell him you want to invest

[@nadeemawan1247]

I am using Canva for years now and I didn't know this whole amazing story of such an enthusiastic girl behind this. Bravo Melanie.

[@TurkanaNation]

I remember in 2013 the moment I joined the waiting list to be among the pioneers of the product. The far it has come...Congratulations Melanie

[@anirudhgoel6546]

I have been using Canva for some time now and never knew about the founder. She really did a great job! Without Canva I would never been able to design the thousands of college event posters,flyers, greeting cards, my KZbin thumbnails so easily. Thank you for the awesome tool, Canva.

[@InTheVisualGenius]

4:41 - Really got to me, because people would always reject you, and not give you a chance to prove your worth and elevate your career. I always wondered about the others that, "didn't make the scratch" and their story, because we always tend to forget about them, and the struggles of finding the right opportunities in life. I hope they still found meaningful careers despite not being apart of big giants such as Canva. I'm speaking this because I'm in that situation right now. Job rejection after rejection, and it's making feel really frustrated, and makes me feel worthless. Apart from self growth, you cannot further your career advancement without somebody giving you a chance; everybody starts w/ baby steps. I just hope that I don't give up. To the ones who gave me previous opportunities in life, thank you for taking a risk, and seeing the potential in me. I also wish the best for anybody reading this right now..

[@gowind2762]

She is so humble and is a very likeable person.

[@jgonsalk]

She is so personable, such a visionary and so damn perseverant. Bloody amazing achievements. Proud that an Aussie has achieved this! And love the product.

[@blackamericanlesbianprofes4357]

I see this in my KZbin suggestions. I have never heard of Canva until now. Thank you for posting.

[@emeraldstream]

Fab interview: The scenic shots and @Karen Glichrist 's friendly style - featuring @Melanie Perkins' route to success - is a pleasure to view. The focus on her achievements as a successful female co-founder are notable as well

[@deborahostmo]

love her spirit ,I personaly spend more time on canva then I do social media. Its my creative outlet to do moodboard and plan my business ventures on.

[@shrshk7]

Tonight's my 30th birthday, I needed this, thank you KZbin 🙏

[@ro-deo119]

Goodluck man!

[@gbendicion7052]

Woah Ive been using canva for 2 years...never knew it was such a huge company

[@sangichan]

I love Canva!!! And it makes me even more happy to see that it's a female-led startup!

[@justusgreen8498]

She looks like she loves what she does and I admire that She’s flowing & glowing doing this

[@abdulrachidabdulhameed7110]

Well I have been using canva for over a year now, and it's really helpful. Thank you for the hardwork.

[@hopeeje-aya448]

This is really inspiring. To think that ideas are birthing unicorns, and I'm over her slaving away at a 9-5. I'm going to try to chase my ideas this year.

[@ShivamGupta-uw5bt]

It also depends on LUCK

[@no40]

@@ShivamGupta-uw5bt .....and networking with the right people.

[@fallenhero1338]

You pick your advantages. 9-5 is guaranteed and easy, but less pay. Trying to become fancy entrepreneur doesn’t guarantee success but can be immensely lucrative if successful.

[@youry509]

“No wayyyy” my reaction when i heard canva😭 my fav online tools 👏🏾👏🏾 Congrats Melani

[@icanspotliarsandincelsnido6408]

I highly recommend it! As a student who has so so so much of homeworks, it really eases my life. I get to spend time with my family. It sounds cheesy lol, but it's true.

[@lovelyantimony9345]

Shes so humble

[@Nicolee7764]

She has a lot of personality!! Kudos to her for her ambition and for having a partner who helps support her dream.

[@jonsil001]

Absolutely love Canva, can't imagine my life without it.

[@user-pi8zm4sm7w]

*_Thanks for having captions_*

[@AndysFIREClub]

Absolutely love Canva, use it all the time, it deserves to be a highly valued tech unicorn

[@habibuddinahmadi1310]

Wow!! I love her enthusiasm!!

[@michaelluigimanzano571]

Love how the cameraman keeps on zooming in and out to and from the host in the videos.

[@MrShwinner]

And she's giving her wealth away. What an inspirational person ! :)

[@Jeevanmn]

I am a canva user and I love it.They are successful because they LISTEN.

[@sssslumber]

Been using Canva for a while, had no idea of the story behind it! Love it.

[@SahitiSeemakurti]

This is quite inspiring! I interviewed with Canva before. I'd live to visit it sometine.

[@thomastrouble]

she has a natural charisma about her

[@lamaalza1666]

One of my favorite softwares, I spend quality time using it. Thanks to the founder

[@henripereira7253]

Love Canva, been using it for years and has enabled me to save thousands on design costs. Great to put a face to the founder. Thanks

[@edum.6353]

Canva is a truly visionary software. It makes graphic design simple and collaborative. This CEO is a true visionaire

[@brucebanner6127]

vi·sion·ar·y /ˈviZHəˌnerē/ (especially of a person) thinking about or planning the future with imagination or wisdom. "a visionary leader"

[@edum.6353]

@@brucebanner6127 thank you

[@raphaeldouglas9361]

Successful people don't become that way overnight. What most people see at a glance-wealth, a great career, purpose-is the result of hard work and hustle over time.

[@peterbedley2719]

Yeah! I agree with you sir.

[@peterbedley2719]

If you want to be successful have the mindset of the rich, spend less and invest More. Don't give up your dreams.

[@michealdouglas8206]

@@peterbedley2719 People come here with the aim of chasing money more than knowledge and that will damage your progress, trust me. Chase knowledge first and I promise! The money will follow you just like it's following some of us now.

[@christophercook7170]

@@michealdouglas8206 That's very correct sir!! And that is why most of them end up losing they money to scammers.

[@christophercook7170]

Don't be in a haste to invest. Know what and who you are investing to and be sure that the person will deliver before investing.

[@Netm8kr]

Absolutely LUV CANVA. I use it almost daily. It has truly awakened the creative I knew I possessed inside. I constantly challenge myself to create more intricate designs with it. And with the many added features they employ, I don’t see myself moving away from its use anytime soon. 👍🏾✌🏾✊🏾

[@randomlife1943]

Canva is really cool. Have been using it for 3 years now

[@Nocutasmr]

Oh wow, this is awesome. My sister and I LOVE Canva.

[@santanagonsalves6461]

Well deserved, Canva is brilliant and life saver as a business owner

[@casstsj]

Thank you for coming up with canva! It has saved me so much with my school work

[@bsarioz]

Wow, such a nice person and down to earth despite her great success. I feel like most founders that make it become really arrogant. Mad respect for her.

[@dogsdreamtoo8427]

She didn't found this company, she co-founded it with two men: Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams.

[@SL-lz9jr]

I love Canva! As a small business (would be) owner, I can't afford to pay anyone decent to do anything for me. So I have to rely on DIY methods to build my website, create my printed collateral (business cards, letterhead, etc), and apps to enhance my social media content. It makes me look polished and on trend instead of some homemade project. Eventually of course I'd like to pay someone to design something better. I certainly don't want to push an entire industry (aka graphic designers) out of a job.

[@intalik]

I must admit, this video is incredibly inspiring.

[@nuutasi]

I love Canva even more now knowing their story!

[@lulumgl]

Thanks for creating Canvas, Melanie!

[@TheMrmoc7]

"I know Melanie doesn't like to play the female angle." That, right there ladies in gentlemen, is the reason she is successful. She understands that pure grit, passion, and persistence will win out in the end, not appealing to some sense of entitlement or victimhood on the basis of her biological sex organs.

[@windskm]

I don't use Canvas (or anything like it) but it's indeed a very popular software/service, people seem to like it and yes, design, PS is too hard so I think she has a point.

[@arafaterasung3280]

I use Canva almost everyday for designing KZbin thumbnails and Facebook posts. Thank you Melanie

[@bestak9031]

respect and admiration for your passion

[@ssuriyaprakash1]

@1:26 the cruise almost hitting the anchor 😂😂 ( Optical illusion )

[@SafwanNet]

O yeah....thanks unicorn kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKbIZJx4r5hmhMU

[@CarsSupercars]

I have used Canva at lot ♥️. Good product.

[@anirudhkhurana9169]

Canva made it so easy for me to design posters for festivals and many designs which were very close to adobe quality on intermediate level. truly been using the website for 2-3 years and it is such a good contri to society!!! kudos

[@sslaia]

Wow I didn't even know the founder of one of my favourite app. Thank you Melanie for making graphic design accessible for the mass

[@MosesMatsepane]

I have never heard of them until literally today. Makes me wonder about the number of cool companies out there that I don't know about.

[@Atem_S.]

Canvas is really good!

[@brucebanner6127]

it's called Canva, no "s".

[@CGFernandesOficial]

I love Canva and Melanie is so down to earth.

[@djvolt.us1]

I am grateful to CANVA & the creators of this webApp, Thank you !

[@manishn1969]

That was inspiring! Hope i become an entrepreneur like her one day.

[@pranavharan5845]

I was in student council last year and used canva to make posters for pretty much most of the events. It's amazing!

[@individualinvestor2330]

I use Canva all the time, helps so much with my youtube videos. Just wanna say a big THANKS

[@redroseaqila3093]

I love canva. I used that to create my resume years ago. 👏🏻👏🏻 glad I finally get to see the founder.

[@nishantaadi]

Damn Canva, now that's call great idea and startup, canva is life sever for many no graphic guys. I had uses it and love it, I will say it is better than photoshop, only some tools are missing but still its good.

[@surajitmondal823]

I am using canva for two years, I didn’t know all this

[@marzettadelmore604]

I am so grateful for this - thank you for creating and sharing it! God's continued blessings to you and all your future endeavors

[@abhishekdk]

She has so much energy..

[@silverfranklin508]

Investment are stepping stones to success, investment is what create wealth

[@jessicamolly9733]

When you invest you're buying a day you don't have to work

[@simontrees5289]

Assets that can make you rich

[@simontrees5289]

Fashion investment Bitcoin Stocks Real estate

[@gwencaster8470]

@One Big Happy Life It's not ignorance but due to some unprofessional expert in the market

[@hanksflowell2994]

I'm from Spain I have been an Investor in the crypto market for over 2 years now

[@Nedwin]

I used Canva and most of the people in the world use it to design things. Your Canva has been helping millions of people who make a serious business including me. Glad to know who's behind that awesome platform!

[@shray_]

SAME!!

[@johnoconnell3842]

Founder seems like such a nice and authentic person.

[@dogsdreamtoo8427]

She didn't found this company, she co-founded it with two men: Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams.

[@ruvin7023]

Canva helped me make posters and menu for my small business. It's great!

[@nut2611]

Canva is sooo great for a small business owner who have 0 knowledge of graphic designn! I subscribe for almost a year already! Worth it

[@daebak7370]

..World govts are colluding together at the expense of their own citizens to usher in new world order aka antichrist beast system. Jesus christ is coming back for the rapture(this decade) Millions of true born again christians all babies and small children under age of accountability will suddenly vanish from the earth to meet the lord in the air. Dont believe the coming massive deception of alien abduction explanation for rapture from obama govt and vatican. They will use this alien deception to unite whole world for their one world religion and worship of the antichrist(obama). Global holocaust and mass American genocide is coming via fema concentration camps. Global economy will collapse cash will become obsolete we will transition to a cashless society using digital currency via rfid chip implants on hand or forehead aka mark of beast. Without this no man can buy or sell. Revelations 13

[@mountaindune]

Its just a marketing strategy / ad for them to get back on track. More than 100 million accounts on Canva were compromised last year.

[@SneakyChan]

Inspirational and informative short docu. Thx!

[@sukhivirdee144]

I love Canva! Can't live without it! I'm totally obsessed! 🤩✌

[@nicolej2972]

Watching this to make myself feel bad about myself. Brilliant ans bubbly babe. Good to learn from ❤

[@biakhleisang]

Woww... I am 30 and still watching Tom and Jerry :)

[@chome4]

Make some time to be good at something.

[@lavelleandrae27]

Thank you for creating Canva !!

[@stephanienwannukwuthehrcoa4768]

Absolutely makes sense now! Canva is God-sent! Thank you for ensuring Canva was created.

[@rafaelmrantunes]

Looking for a relationship like that one

[@mmawalidh]

She is a simple person and down to earth! Lovely and wish her all the best.

[@arandomkenyan]

Canva !!! Wow !! That is my literal go-to platform...awesome!!! She started something so helpful to so many people !!!

[@dogsdreamtoo8427]

She didn't found this company, she co-founded it with two men: Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams.

[@frankmcgonagle6143]

Canva is the best. I have been using it for a couple years for my social media related work and other stuff as well. It is an amazing app for someone who is not a pro graphic designer and saves a lot of time and money for users.

[@alvinchua9209]

I thought she found an actual unicorn, and is now off to slay some actual giants with tech gear

[@internautmedia1210]

Canva is great. Savvy idea. Well done.

[@shahnawazalam9571]

I can’t believe today Canva is worth 40 billion dollars today

[@mervei9540]

canva is a blessing to all, interesting to see the story behind the company

[@monikapul]

This is really inspiring! I'm working on my business idea at the moment and am getting negative thoughts sometimes as I don't have any connections. But I really believe I can create a valuable platform so I'm pressing on and hoping I can get through to find funding!

[@camerontaylor7471]

Monika Pul if you want anything from the system... you will need an entire army, an entire global world population of brainwashed indoctrinated slaves to work and create your business idea

[@asoka7752]

You don't need connections, you can create when you move ahead.

[@rubyh4184]

I wouldn't call it tech company. Because the business seemed to mainly sell template designs and photos not using the app to perform complicated processing like photoshop. I could see why it can be profitable as long as templates were keep produced. Adobe was not the competitor because the market was different. The competitors should be company like stockphotos. The comparison with adobe only bloats the valuation.

[@ssjj005]

So it's basically helps you create a company's homepage automatically or something like that? Not really sure what they could help us.

[@shivenpatel4039]

It’s mainly just a design tool for logos and posters it is not a UX design company so it is not made for homepage designs. People use it for doing much simple edits on photos

[@AnmigaBharatham]

One of the best website. We use it very often for our Channel. Thank you!

[@RidohRylands]

Such a cool story, been using this since i was at Uni 2012

[@ramjeesaradi]

States with stakes in companies is beneficial for citizens.