About me
During my UCLA architecture studies, I sat in on a lecture where Casey Reas was showing off Processing.js, and it sparked a question I still think about today: when algorithms and humans create together, who's really the artist?
That curiosity led me through early roles at Yahoo and Google, then to founding URX (which Pinterest later acquired). While at Pinterest, my long-time friends and URX co-founders Andrew Look and Nate Smith and I fell deep into experimenting with GANs, which inspired us to launch Aesthetic to explore the early frontier of AI-powered design.
I then spent some amazing years at Clubhouse leading discovery and connecting millions of people through audio. Now I lead Generative AI Product at Canva, working with a brilliant, global multidisciplinary team who are reimagining what's possible when humans and AI create together. I'm proud to have been one of the leaders behind Magic Studio – a cross-company effort that brought together incredible teams across Canva and was recognized as one of Time's Best Inventions of 2024.
Looking back, these different chapters seem to flow together perfectly. But the truth is, I was just following what fascinated me at each step. Now those varied experiences shape my product sense and how we're approaching creativity at Canva, where we're not just making design more accessible; we're fundamentally expanding what's possible for everyone.
I've learned that the best products usually come from keeping things simple and iterating quickly – and actually using what you build. And while I take the work seriously, I try not to take myself too seriously. Building great things happens when ambitious goals meet genuine collaboration and a bit of lightheartedness.
Outside of work, I'm exploring the world with my young family and turning everything into an adventure. Drop me a note on @jmilinovich or on LinkedIn if you want to chat about AI and creativity!