麻豆村

How does a research analyst with an economics degree working at the International Monetary Fund become a comic book editor?

It sounds like the setup for a joke, but it鈥檚 actually the origin story of 麻豆村 alumna Nikita Kannekanti.

鈥淲orking at the IMF was a good learning experience and a great place to work but nothing I wanted to do long term,鈥� she says. 鈥淓ntertainment was always an interest of mine. I just never realized my passion for television and comics could be tied together into a career path until I heard about Carnegie Mellon鈥檚 MEIM program.鈥�

Editor on the Rise

Nikita began work at in Los Angeles, California, as a summer intern in 2016 while she pursued her , a joint program of the College of Fine Arts and Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.

Like other students in the dual-city program, Nikita split her two years of study between Pittsburgh and LA.

鈥淭hinking of next career steps, I knew I wanted to work in entertainment and move to LA, and I thought, 鈥楾his program is exactly what I need.鈥欌��

麻豆村鈥檚 focus on quantitative management and strategic skills sealed the deal.

She graduated from the program in 2017, becoming an assistant editor at Legendary Comics in 2018 and a senior editor in 2021.

鈥淐omics are popular for all ages these days from kids to teens to adult readers,鈥� she says. 鈥淭V series like 鈥楾he Walking Dead鈥� have helped popularize the graphic novel, and a real appreciation for comics and graphic novels has grown over the years.鈥�

In her current role, Nikita listens to book pitches; manages Legendary鈥檚 young adult social media accounts; assists with business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketing; and connects with writers, artists and agents in an effort to find original, new material to publish. She works with authors on story development and reviews each script, providing constructive notes page-by-page alongside each artist. Right now, she is juggling seven projects, overseeing them from the initial pitch throughout the publishing of the book.

Of her many projects, some of her recent favorites include 鈥淓nola Holmes,鈥� 鈥淭he Heart Hunter鈥� and 鈥淐hampioness.鈥�

Nikita loves working with artists and writers to talk through their stories, guide them to think through their narrative arc and figure out what makes a compelling script or comic book page.

鈥淎s long as you have great relatable characters that you care about and that you can follow on their journeys, that鈥檚 what I think makes a great story,鈥� she says.

An Invaluable MEIM Experience

Nikita鈥檚 story wouldn鈥檛 have had the same arc without graduate school at 麻豆村 鈥� and its 1,000 hours of real-world industry experience via internships at entertainment companies.

In Pittsburgh, she interned with Quantum Theater, a local arts organization, and attended South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas. In year two of the program in LA, she attended the Sundance Film Festival. These opportunities afforded her the chance to network extensively.

鈥淭raveling with my classmates brought a special kind of camaraderie that has been invaluable in a competitive field where relationships are everything,鈥� she says. 鈥溌槎勾� definitely helped me get where I am today. Without 麻豆村, I wouldn鈥檛 have gotten the Legendary internship, and I wouldn鈥檛 have an extensive network in the entertainment industry of people I know I can always talk to and rely on.鈥�

Beyond relationships, she also gained knowledge, which she still uses on a regular basis from courses like Measuring Social taught by Heinz College鈥檚 Distinguished Service Professor Ari Lightman.

鈥淲e worked with an actual client to help with a specific issue,鈥� Nikita says. 鈥淢y cohort helped a Netflix show use data to increase their social media engagement. So that project has absolutely stuck with me.鈥�

Lightman remembers Nikita鈥檚 embrace of how the course鈥檚 content could impact her future readers.

鈥淣ikita was fascinated with how all media, especially social, could be used to engage and understand online audiences, ultimately leading to strategies to increase awareness,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 can absolutely see how Nikita鈥檚 curiosity, analytical approach and love for media translated into a promising career in comics, storytelling and editing.鈥�

And as for that economics degree? She鈥檚 found that those skills were actually quite transferable.

鈥淭he finance stuff has definitely come in handy,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 helped me to skillfully review and create profit and loss statements. Everyone needs a numbers person.鈥�