Meet the MBA Class of 2026: JP Cannistraro, UCLA (Anderson)

JP Cannistraro

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

“Family-focused, competitor. Always ready for “game day” but loves a chill Sunday at the beach.”  

Hometown: Boston, MA

Fun Fact About Yourself: In college, I spent as many hours on the water as I did in the classroom. I competed on the Stanford Varsity Sailing Team and was fortunate enough to spend my afternoons training on the beautiful San Francisco Bay. The long hours paid off when I achieved national recognition as a Collegiate All-American during my junior year.

Undergraduate School and Major: Stanford University, B.S. Product Design Engineering & M.S. Biology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Boston Scientific, Senior R&D Engineer (New Product Development)

UCLA Anderson is founded on the Three Pillars: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change. Which pillar resonates most with you and why? Drive Change is the pillar that resonates most deeply with me. I have always been inclined to question the status quo and view change as an essential mechanism through which we grow as a society. Large institutions – like companies, industries, or even nations – need catalysts for change. I am inspired by extraordinary leaders who have fearlessly acted as these catalysts, regardless of the obstacles, and positively impacted so many lives because of their actions. At Anderson, I want to acquire the skills and confidence to be a catalyst in my own unique way, so I can bring positive change to the communities and industries I am a part of.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? There are so many incredible aspects of Los Angeles that make it a great place to earn an MBA. Waking up to gorgeous weather and palm trees every day truly motivates you to bring your best attitude to the classroom. The students at Anderson exude a vibrant energy, much of which comes from the pulse of the city and beauty of our surroundings. Personally, Los Angeles is the perfect setting for my career transition into the entertainment industry. The proximity of UCLA’s campus to the largest and most influential movie studios, coupled with Anderson’s extensive alumni network within the entertainment industry, is invaluable. If entertainment isn’t your thing, that’s okay too! LA is the second-largest city in the U.S. and offers a plethora of industries ranging from real estate to tech. Anderson students have the luxury of exploring diverse career paths without the need to travel very far.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of UCLA Anderson’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Leadership@Anderson (L@A) programming really stood out to me when I was making my final choice of business school. L@A is a comprehensive, multi-quarter leadership development program where all Anderson students receive personalized coaching and tailored leadership training. Like most MBA students, I aspire to be a leader in my personal and professional life. People often think leaders are born with the qualities that make them successful, but developing leadership skills takes practice! Through L@A, I have the chance to grow as a leader with the help of professionally trained coaches and complementary coursework. This programming is so important because it provides me with the time and resources needed to mature into the transformative leader I aspire to be.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at UCLA Anderson? I am most excited about joining the Entertainment Management Association (EMA) at Anderson. Joining EMA will give me the chance to learn more about the entertainment industry from other students, guest speakers, and club events. The club is also a forum for me to nerd-out over my favorite movies and hopefully give back through a student-leadership role. I am also stoked about EMA’s film screenings that are available for all Anderson students – which is awesome. The first screening this summer will be Shrek – a timeless DreamWorks classic!

What is your unique quality that will enable you to make a big contribution to the Class of 2026? My ability to connect with people is my unique quality that will enable me to make a significant contribution to the Class of 2026. Being one of five children, I’ve spent very little time alone. Whether at home with my siblings or training with a team, I’ve always been part of a group working towards a common goal. This has instilled in me a natural ability to connect with various individuals on a personal level. This quality has been instrumental in my contributions to athletics, academics, and the healthcare industry. At Anderson, I plan to lean into this aspect of my personality to build strong relationships with my classmates and support everyone around me, so we can all achieve our goals!

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Although my professional titles have always included the word “engineer” – and I am a named inventor on several patents – my biggest career accomplishment is unrelated to building medical devices. While working at Boston Scientific’s global headquarters in Massachusetts, I led an incredible team through the fundraising, launch, and facilitation of Bridge to the Future: a program that provides Black students from the local community with education, mentorship, and professional development in the field of STEM. This initiative, which runs annually from September to May, is sponsored by Boston Scientific and driven by employee volunteers. The program’s mission is to provide Black students with an equitable path to a career in the medical device industry through guided instruction and internship opportunities. This past May, the inaugural class of students graduated and shared how powerful the experience was for them – that was truly a special moment for me and the rest of the volunteers, and one I’ll never forget.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? My goal after graduation is to join a leading movie studio in a role centered around content strategy or new business development. I have loved movies ever since I was a kid, and the characters I saw in theaters have always influenced my mentality. I pursued gymnastics because I was inspired by Power Rangers doing flips on the big screen and thought math was cool because Tony Stark was an engineer from MIT. I’ll never forget when I saw Spider-Man – the original with Tobey Maguire – when I was seven and believed I could be a superhero because Peter Parker looked just like me! Throughout my career in healthcare, I’ve been passionate about increasing representation in an industry that significantly affects peoples’ lives. I am motivated to bring that same focus to the entertainment industry because everyone deserves their own ‘Spider-Man moment.’

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2026: THE ‘DO ANYTHING, BE ANYONE’ COHORT