BWA | JUL 2026 19 venture is important not because it was enormous, but because it gave her a real proving ground for the core Canva idea: take something that is technically difficult, visually intimidating and far too slow, then redesign it so ordinary people can do it themselves. That instinct — simplify the hard thing without making it feel cheap — still sits at the centre of Canva. The transition from Fusion Books to Canva also reveals something essential about Perkins’ style as a company-builder. Canva’s own historical materials say the company launched in 2013, but only after a long period of pitching, team-building and investor persuasion. Official Canva newsroom pieces explain that Bill Tai and Lars Rasmussen encouraged Perkins and Cliff Obrecht to find a technical co-founder, which eventu-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTE4MTQ=