Melanie Perkins

Instead of taking her company public, as the world expects of her, Melanie Perkins has been head-down in Sydney, building. The cofounder and CEO of Canva, the platform that allows users to easily create social media graphics, slide decks, and other design-based materials, this year launched an AI-powered coding tool, along with a spreadsheet product that builds on Canva’s strategy of becoming a must-have enterprise tool. Valued at $32 billion, Canva is the world’s most valuable startup that is both founded and led by a woman.