Business Daily - BBC World Service
Episode: Canva CEO Melanie Perkins
Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Zoe Kleinman, BBC Technology Editor

Episode Overview

In this episode, BBC technology editor Zoe Kleinman interviews Melanie Perkins, CEO and co-founder of Canva. Perkins shares insights into her journey from university dropout to tech billionaire, while emphasizing her commitment to philanthropy, the democratization of design, adapting to the AI revolution, and shaping a positive future for the next generation. The discussion covers Canva's global growth, Perkins' personal ethos, the evolution of the Australian tech scene, and her vision for the world in 2050.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Philosophy on Wealth and Purpose

• Charitable Giving, Not Personal Wealth
  • Perkins stresses that her billionaire status is not for personal enrichment but to give away wealth over her lifetime.
    • “It’s not money for me to go and buy things with, it’s literally to give away. And we’ve committed to giving it all away over our lifetime.” (Melanie Perkins, 01:37 and 06:31)
  • Outlines Canva’s “two-step plan”: build a valuable company and do the most good possible, including pledges of up to $150M to those in extreme poverty. (04:48–05:44)

2. Education for the ‘Imagination Era’

• AI and Skills for the Future
  • Perkins is concerned that students are not being equipped for a world transformed by AI, advocating for education that fosters creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving.
    • “It’s really important that we start to tool up our students for this imagination era.” (Melanie Perkins, 01:51, 07:42)
  • Draws a parallel to past technological disruptions (like calculators or the printing press), calling for harnessing new tools, not resisting them. (07:42–09:00)

3. Resilience of Professions in the Face of Technological Change

• Enduring Purpose, Evolving Tools
  • Perkins argues that while tools and workflows change with technology, the core purpose of professions like design or teaching remains constant.
    • “The end goal of each profession… actually stays remarkably similar.” (Melanie Perkins, 02:09)
  • She notes that whereas design used to be rare, today’s businesses need design at every touch point, creating more opportunities even as the nature of design work evolves. (09:00–10:31)

4. The Australian Tech Scene vs. Silicon Valley

• Homegrown Success and Support
  • Perkins contrasts Australia’s growing startup ecosystem with Silicon Valley, recounting how government schemes encouraged Canva to remain headquartered in Australia.
    • “We didn’t even know what a startup was when we first started… there’s an incredible amount of investors and startups… it’s certainly changed in the last decade.” (Melanie Perkins, 03:47)
    • “…the Australian government actually offered something called Commercialization Australia… that actually kept us in Australia.” (Melanie Perkins, 04:10)

5. Business Model and Generosity

• Free Products Fueling Growth
  • Highlighted Canva’s long-standing strategy of offering generous free products to nonprofits, schools, and users worldwide to promote creativity.
    • “We’ve had a free product, a very intentionally generous free product for the last decade and will forever.” (Melanie Perkins, 12:02)
  • Perkins mentions the acquisition and free release of Affinity design software, with millions of downloads in a short span. (11:52–12:37)
  • Monetization comes from users who opt for advanced features or Canva AI tools.

6. AI’s Disruptive Impact & Opportunities

• Navigating the AI ‘Bubble’ and AI Content ('Slop')
  • Perkins is unphased by hype cycles:
    • “We are building an enduring company that solves real problems for real people… it doesn’t matter too much to us what happens in the wider macroeconomic environment.” (Melanie Perkins, 06:59)
  • On AI-generated content, she stresses the importance of intentional, iterative human refinement:
    • “Every idea… has to go on a journey from chaos to clarity. AI can kind of help leapfrog towards that, but hopefully that isn’t the end product.” (Melanie Perkins, 13:33)
  • Refers to herself as a ‘sophisticated’ AI user, but admits everyone is on an evolving journey with these tools.

7. Overcoming Rejection and Female Founder Lessons

• Investor Rejection as Growth
  • Melanie recounts facing over 100 VC rejections, which ultimately sharpened Canva’s pitch and vision.
    • “The hundred investor rejections I got were extremely painful at the time. But I also used it to refine our pitch.” (Melanie Perkins, 15:06)
  • While she’d like to think things have improved for female founders, she credits hardships for Canva’s resilience and clarity.
    • “Maybe I would have been a little easier on myself, perhaps throughout.” (Melanie Perkins, 16:03)

8. Vision for 2050 and Community

• The ‘2050 Wall’ and Alleviating Loneliness
  • Perkins shares her practice of goal-setting for 2050, focusing on solving societal issues like loneliness, lack of purpose, and weak community ties.
    • “Everything good was once imagined. And so if we don’t imagine it, then it literally can’t be the reality that we live in.” (Melanie Perkins, 16:36)
  • Envisions a future with empowered, solution-oriented youth and vibrant, purpose-driven communities.

9. Personal Wellbeing and Work-Life Balance

• Email Boundaries and Switching Off
  • Perkins deliberately removed email from her phone to compartmentalize work and personal life.
    • “When I’m working I work… but then I like to not be working when I’m not working.” (Melanie Perkins, 17:58)
  • Wants to maintain healthy working habits, after years of overwork in the early days.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Wealth and Philanthropy:
  “The word billionaire has never sat right with me whatsoever because I really feel like we’re just custodians of that and our job is to use that money to help in the most meaningful way we can during our lifetime.” (Melanie Perkins, 05:51)
• On Education and the Future:
  “I really think we’ve gone from the information era to the imagination era.” (Melanie Perkins, 07:42)
• On AI Content:
  “Maybe everyone goes through their AI slop phase… I think it’s a process for everyone.” (Melanie Perkins, 12:51) “If you think your skills are done and dusted, if you think that you don’t have anything more to learn, I think that’s where the real problem stands.” (Melanie Perkins, 14:57)
• On Overcoming Adversity:
  “I think that the hardships were actually quite helpful. Helpful along the journey. I mean, maybe I would have been a little easier on myself, perhaps throughout.” (Melanie Perkins, 16:03)
• On Imagination and Society:
  “Everything good was once imagined.” (Melanie Perkins, 16:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:37 — Perkins on her giving philosophy and ethos as a billionaire
• 04:48 — Commitment to philanthropic giving through Canva initiatives
• 06:59 — Canva’s focus on enduring value vs. AI/bubble hype cycles
• 07:42 — ‘Imagination era’ and rethinking teaching for future jobs
• 09:00 — Design: Changing tools, enduring outcomes
• 11:52 — Canva’s acquisition of Affinity and commitment to free creativity tools
• 12:51 — Thoughts on ‘AI slop’ and personal journey as an AI user
• 15:06 — Lessons from investor rejections as a female founder
• 16:36 — The vision for 2050 and importance of imagination
• 17:58 — Work-life balance strategies and avoiding burnout

Summary Prepared For:
Listeners interested in Canva’s story, technology’s impact on work and education, startup resilience, philanthropy through business, and insights into balancing technology, innovation, and societal well-being.