By Catherine Woo
Welcome to NYWIFT Pallavi Bakshi! Following an incredible career in investment banking and equity research, Pallavi Bakshi is now part of Disney Streaming’s Strategic Finance team. Any given day might include reporting to executives, preparing data sets or market research. She has worked on projects for iconic brands in the Disney portfolio, including Marvel and Pixar.
Pallavi shares more about her dynamic days here!
NYWIFT Member Pallavi Bakshi
How would you summarize your past experiences and career highlights in about 100 words?
My name is Pallavi Bakshi and I’m very excited to be joining NYWIFT as a Next Wave member. I started my career in Investment Banking, as an Equity Research analyst in the Consumer Packaged Goods sector. Some of my favorite companies I worked with were Nike, Peloton, and Monster Energy.
I made a career shift about one year ago, joining Disney Streaming’s Finance team based in New York where I manage a team to analyze the streaming platform’s marketing strategy.
What brings you to NYWIFT?
I decided to join NYWIFT as this is my first role in media & entertainment, and so I’d like to meet more women in the field. I’m also interested in learning about other aspects of media, especially creative or entrepreneurial roles.
Still from Disney’s upcoming animated feature Wish
What is a day in your life like? What drew you to a role in finance at Disney Streaming? `
I pursued this role due to my background in finance, my interest in joining a fast-growing, subscription-based business, and of course the magic of working for an iconic brand like Disney. My team supports reporting to executives, so on a given day we may be preparing a data set on latest subscriber trends, analyzing marketing support for an upcoming content release, or communicating KPIs to better understand marketing efficiency. No two days are the same given the constantly changing streaming environment.
As of today, which projects have resonated most with you and why?
I’ve particularly enjoyed working on projects around our Marvel and Pixar releases, as those are iconic brands in our portfolio.
If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?
A career isn’t a straight line, and while it’s nerve-wracking to make a career change, it can be very fulfilling.
Still from Loki Season 2 on Disney+
What would you hope to see more of from Disney in the future? What sorts of stories and characters are exciting to you?
It’s been a turbulent few months, but I’m looking forward to seeing the upcoming slate of Disney streaming titles like Loki season 2 and our 100th anniversary movie Wish.
Do you have any upcoming projects we should look out for? Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years, I’d love to experience more on the production or creative side of media!
You can connect with Pallavi Bakshi on LinkedIn.
Catherine Woo
Catherine Woo is an intern at NYWIFT and an aspiring screenwriter. She will graduate from NYU Tisch with a BFA in Dramatic Writing in 2024. She has interned at Rattlestick Theater and Protozoa Pictures. She has done production photography for PrideFest 2023 at The Tank and Broke People Spring 2023 Play Festival at NYU.
Related Posts
Disney+ Celebrates National Pet Day with Heartwarming New Documentary “Pets” Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard
Disney+ is tugging at the heartstrings this National Pet Day with the premiere of its latest original documentary, Pets, debuting April 11. Directed by Bryce Dallas Howard, the film dives into the extraordinary relationships that exist between humans and their animals — no matter the species, no matter the place. In our exclusive interview, Bryce Dallas Howard shared how the collaboration with Imagine Documentaries — and her father Ron Howard — helped bring her vision to life. Along with aspects which will make audiences interested in watching even if they are not pet owners and more!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Amanda Deering Jones
Welcome to NYWIFT, Amanda Deering Jones! Amanda Deering Jones is the director of the new short film Little Mother Lies. She is also the Producer of the Academy Award-nominated animated short film Borrowed Time. She has over 20 years of experience working with Dreamworks Animation and Blue Sky Studios and is currently at Pixar. Her career began in Cooperstown, NY, as House Manager at Glimmerglass Opera before transitioning to film. Amanda is a zero-waste advocate and a published writer for the Producer’s Guild Magazine. She is an active member of the Producers Guild of America, Women in Film, Women in Animation, a Governor of the Emmy’s Northwest Chapter Board, and now a NYWIFT member. Amanda discusses her theatrical roots, getting into animation (without drawing!), and how she creates work that elevates our thinking and highlights the complexities of being human!
READ MOREKathryn O’Kane on the Emmys, Jeff Goldblum, and the Challenges of Pandemic Productions
When NYWIFT Board Member Kathryn O’Kane headed off to direct season two of The World According to Jeff Goldblum for Disney+ it was, in her words, “the worst of times” – the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, before vaccines were available and film production felt particularly dangerous and fraught. But the difficult work paid off, and has led to the best of times! Season two of the docuseries, which follows the beloved quirky actor as he pulls on the thread of a familiar topic to unravel a world of fascinating secrets, has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
We checked in with Kathryn to offer our congratulations, learn more about the filming process, and discuss what’s next for her.
#Muse40for40: Abigail Disney (2014)
Abigail E. Disney is an American documentary filmmaker, philanthropist, and social activist. She produced the documentary Pray the Devil Back to Hell, and is the executive producer, writer, and director of The Armor of Light, which won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Social Issue Documentary.
READ MORE
Comments are closed