By Jeff Hunter ’96

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Sometimes turning a dream into reality involves carving out a career in something that’s not reality.

And maybe even in something you’re not all that familiar with.

“The only video game I ever really played was like … Mario,” Nibedita Baral admits with a small laugh. “But you’ve got to visualize what’s next, and I just think that nobody knows what that is. Everybody’s trying to figure it out.

“I never knew when I was coming to Utah that this was going to be my place, and 2K is the biggest publisher of AAA video games. If you had asked me 10 years ago, I didn’t know that. So, it’s just keeping your mind open.”

A native of India who came to Utah State University in 2010 to complete a master’s degree in information technology, Baral, who goes by Nivi, was elevated into the role of chief technology officer (CTO) at 2K in December 2024. Headquartered just north of San Francisco in Novato, California, 2K is best known for creating popular videos games like NBA 2K, Borderlands, BioShock, Civilization, Mafia and WWE 2K.

Baral was originally recruited by 2K after spending the previous six and a half years at Comcast.

Needless to say, pivoting towards a career in the video-game industry wasn’t really in Baral’s plans. But she was ready when the opportunity presented itself, initially leaving Philadelphia for a position with 2K in Austin, Texas, in October 2021 as the head of Software Development and Engineering.

“When COVID hit, I had a very deep reflection around a lot of things, and I decided I wanted to do something different,” explains Baral, who is married to another USU alum, Swagat Mahapatra. “I think everybody went through some of those things during that time, and, so, my husband and I decided, ‘Let’s go somewhere where there’s sun.’”

Baral says she wants to be regarded as an “industry agnostic tech executive,” meaning she has a versatile set of skills that can be applied across many different sectors and not limited to a single industry. She has experience in consulting, finance, energy, and telecommedia, which led to 2K reaching out with an exciting opportunity.

“2K stood out with what they wanted to do. It was really something exciting,” Baral says. “It’s a different industry, but gaming is known as the epitome of technology. And I couldn’t stop myself from trying here what I had learned and seeing what kind of contribution I could make.

“Every industry has its own challenges,” Baral adds. “However, there are fundamentals — thinking through how people process technology — and applying that framework, you can really solve any industry problem.”

The Perfect Place

Moving “somewhere where there’s sun” didn’t last all that long.

After only a year in Texas, 2K asked Baral to relocate to Vancouver, British Columbia. That stay was short-lived as well, though, spending only a year in Canada before being promoted to Chief Technology Officer, and relocating to the 2K headquarters in the North Bay area of California.

“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve told my husband, ‘This is it. We’re going to buy a house and make our home here,’” Baral says. “And then after a year I say, ‘I think it would be good for me to go there.’

“Fortunately, I have an extremely supportive partner. I don’t think I’d be where I am without him. He’s been supporting my career journey all along, and he’s the reason I even chose Utah State to begin with because he was studying there.”

Mahapatra initially left India to start working on a master’s in computer science at USU in 2007. After completing his degree, he took a position as an enterprise data warehouse modeler in Rochester, New York, where he and Baral lived after she graduated from USU. Mahapatra used his skills at a few different places in the Philadelphia area while Baral was at Comcast, and he currently works remotely as a data architect.

“It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life,” Mahapatra says of continuing his education at Utah State. “Nivi eventually chose USU partly because I was already there, but I always say it was destiny at work.”

“My time at USU and in Logan is filled with incredibly positive memories,” he continues. “The university offered a strong academic foundation, and the community was welcoming and beautiful. Pursuing my MS in computer science there shaped both my professional journey and my personal life. It truly was the perfect place for that phase of our lives.”

Baral grew up in the capital of the Indian state of Odisha located in the eastern part of the country. The daughter of a surgeon, she says, “my dad always inspired and pushed me,” and she graduated from Utkal University with a bachelor’s degree in STEM. But continuing her education in a foreign country was a very different matter, and Baral says her parents were nervous of her decision to come to the United States by herself.

“It was a very foreign idea for me to come here to pursue a degree, so it was a big step,” she notes.

While it certainly helped that Mahapatra was already in Logan, Baral says she quickly felt at home in Cache Valley because “it was such a beautiful place that was also as safe a place as you can imagine.” She lived in a house with four roommates near the base of Old Main Hill and ended up completing her MMIS (Master of Management Information Systems) in 2010.

Academically, Baral says USU was, indeed, “the perfect place” for her. But even more so, she believes coming to a “protective environment” where she felt safe leaving the door unlocked or walking home from the library at 2 a.m. was the best thing about coming to Cache Valley. Baral points out that she had friends and relatives who went to colleges and universities in large cities where they weren’t so fortunate.

In addition, she was heavily involved with the USU International Student Council and its activities, making friends she still connects with 15 years later. And Baral also had to deal with a serious medical issue late in her time at Utah State University and fondly remembers the assistance she received from her roommates, friends, professors, and local physicians as she recovered.

“It’s hard coming with two bags from a completely different country with a completely different culture,” Baral declares. “But the first place I came in the United States was Logan, the safest place you can ever imagine. The people were so nice, and I felt a freedom that I had never felt before.”

“… I say that that was the best decision of my life,” she adds. “Everything I have right now, everything I have accomplished, I feel like there was a reason. And when I narrow it down, I think what if had never chosen to come to Utah State? That’s a place that will stay in my heart forever.”

Truly a Unicorn

Baral leads 2K’s global technology organization, overseeing data, infrastructure, security, engineering, programs, and product development. She ensures the studio has the capabilities needed for modern game development while guiding “buy vs. build” decisions, and overseeing the financial performance of the technology organization.

“My job is mostly enabling business through technology,” Baral says.

A member of the Forbes Technology Council comprised of executive-level business executives, Baral wrote an article for Forbes.com last May entitled The Evolving Role of The CTO: From Back Office to Strategic Leader where she outlines her view of the position of chief technology officer in 2025:

A CTO’s value is no longer just about being the most technical person in the room; it’s about being at the forefront of business strategy and having a seat at the table where critical decisions are made. Whether launching a new product, entering a new market or protecting customer data, AI adoption, every big decision a company makes has technical implications. We’ve moved from supporting the business to enabling it, which means we are a critical part of conversations shaping the future of our organizations.

One of the conversations Baral tries to hold whenever she can is about the role of women in the technology field, something she’s become even more passionate about now that she’s involved in a male-dominated industry like gaming. Baral notes that being a person of color has made her journey even more uncommon, but working for a company like 2K that appreciates her unique skillset has been an ideal fit.

“I was at a launch party for NBA 2K the other day, and I realized I was clearly not familiar with most of the NBA players names because I didn’t grow up watching basketball or playing video games,” Baral says. “My cousins and friends tease me about that all the time.”

“But you know what? I think it’s important to have that confidence that you don’t need to know everything. You have to know what to focus on, and I’m here to build technology and to enable business.”

Baral says her parents, who still live in India, are very proud of her and what she’s accomplished in her new country. And while she’s certainly grateful for that, she says one of the things she learned during her time in Utah was that “you have to be comfortable with who you are.”

“I felt that people there were very true to themselves and who they are — they’re not pretending,” she explains. “And I am, down to my roots, who I am, and how I want to carry myself. I want to have an identity of my own, and I don’t want to put myself in a box.”

Baral is clearly comfortable with who she is, while at the same time, always ready to take on the next big challenge or take advantage of the next good opportunity, especially now that she’s a C-level executive.

“Nivi is truly a unicorn — an absolute go-getter,” Mahapatra says of his wife.

“I’ve seen her navigate chaotic situations with instant, practical solutions, and her resilience is unmatched. She’s fearless, decisive, and incredibly driven. These qualities set her apart and have contributed deeply to her success.

“Her parents and all of our family, we all take immense pride in her accomplishments and her being in our life,” he adds. “I mostly admire how beautifully she balances her professional and personal life — excelling in her career while still giving so much quality time to family, friends, and community — all while conquering the world in her own quiet, determined way.”