Meet Kostya Kimlat
Known as “The Business Magician,” Kostya Kimlat is a world-renowned sleight-of-hand magician, theatrical mentalist, and entrepreneur.
He has spent more than two decades as a living example of the American Dream, pursuing a passion and an art-form and turning it into a flourishing business.
Kostya Kimlat as a child in Kyiv, Ukraine in the Soviet Union.
A Young Immigrant
Born in Kyiv, Ukraine while it was part of the former Soviet Union, Kimlat was three years old when the nuclear power plant accident, Chernobyl, occurred, just an hour away from where his family lived. With the lack of resources and opportunities for the future, combined with the concern of the nuclear fallout, Kostya’s parents knew that a better life for the family existed outside of the country. Along with his mom, dad, grandmother and sister, the family flew in 1992 from Kyiv to Moscow to New York, finally settling in Orlando, Florida.
His dad taught Kostya his first simple card trick when he was 8 in Kyiv, but his interest in magic truly flourished in America at age 12, when he watched World’s Greatest Magic—an annual TV special on NBC. He began performing at local restaurants and hotels at age 15 and spent his formative years buying and reading every book on magic he could get his hands on. By 18, he’d written his first book for magicians, Card Work, Card Play.
Debuting on the World Stage
Over the next 10 years, Kostya would solidify his reputation, becoming recognized for both his technical mastery and business acumen, speaking at magic conferences on the techniques, theater and business of magic. In all, he’s presented in 200 cities on 5 continents.
In 2007, Kostya began performing an intimate magic and dinner show at Christner’s Prime Steak and Lobster, which Orlando Magazine rates as Orlando’s best steakhouse and best place to close a business deal. The partnership is still currently running, including guest performers, with over 500 performances.
As his reputation grew nationally, Kostya’s base of fans in Orlando has grown. With over 30 appearances on ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates, Kostya has been contracted by most major corporations headquartered in Central Florida and every local professional sporting franchise. Kostya’s continued partnership with the Orlando Magic NBA team began in 2010, with Kostya providing interactive entertainment for private suite-holders, half-time entertainment, and fan events.
“What Kostya does is amazing and it makes a meaningful impact on our clients. We want to bring him to every event we do because he makes us look good and that’s the icing on the cake.”
Transforming into CEO
In 2010, Kostya founded See Magic Live, a company that trains, certifies, and books magicians for events around the country. As CEO of See Magic Live, Kostya’s experience has enabled him the unique perspective to understand the mentality and needs of his clients—business executives who value the customer experience. Kostya has retained the curiosity and imagination of an artist while embracing the foundations and systems of a business owner. He has become a role model for aspiring magicians and new entrepreneurs alike, with features in:
Orlando Sentinel "Orlando magician delights in Dr. Phillips Show"
Orlando Sentinel "Orlando magician surprises Penn & Teller"
Entertainment Weekly "Best Fooler Yet"
Orlando Magazine "Story of a Magician"
Orlando Business Journal Kostya Kimlat uses magic to help companies train employees.
Smart Meetings Magazine “Sleight of Hand”
Florida Trend “CEO Sounding Board”
Restaurant Business Magazine ABRACADABRA! BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE!
By creating a national booking service for top-level talent, Kostya took the years of learning while attending his client’s corporate events and put those lessons—launching a startup, building a team, setting up a franchise model—into action.
Fooling Penn & Teller on National TV
In 2015, Kostya was invited to perform for Penn & Teller on their TV show, Penn & Teller: Fool Us — a show where the world’s best magicians are invited to perform for the famous Las Vegas duo and have one chance to fool them with their magic. Not only was Kostya one of the few to fool the legends of magic, his viral video was the stand-out hit of the season, with Penn picking up a chair and jokingly threatening Kostya: “I’m gonna break your hands!”. Entertainment Weekly called Kostya “the best fooler yet.” His outstanding performance on their show led to a live performance at their Las Vegas theater, where Kostya closed the Penn & Teller Show at the Rio Hotel & Casino by once again inviting Penn & Teller on stage and amazing them with his original magic.
Even after learning how Kostya actually fooled them, Penn exclaimed on his Penn Sunday School podcast “*!#!*$! It’s just that good.” This is because Kostya’s specialty is difficult-to-master sleight-of-hand. Even when you know exactly how it’s done, all you can do is appreciate the skill level and years of dedication necessary to reach this level. He is one of the rare artists who combines technical mastery with a charismatic personality and showmanship.
“If you can get Kostya on your agenda for a conference, for a speaking engagement, or for a private party, I would say that your fee will be more than worth it.”
The Business Magician
Kostya became known as “The Business Magician” after over a thousand performances at business conferences, meetings and events nationwide. Using magic to break the ice with audiences and communicate key concepts from the stage, Kostya has trained thousands of people how to better read their audience and be more aware of how they are perceived by others.
He’s shown executives how perception impacts their ability to be effective leaders. He’s taught teams of engineers to use critical and lateral thinking to approach problems. He’s shown thousands of customer service reps how to execute amazing moments of magical service. He’s brought clarity to marketing teams and HR departments. And he’s taught thousands of salespeople how to read the minds of their customers.
A Digital Leader & Hybrid Performance Pioneer
When the pandemic began in March 2020, Kostya rapidly pivoted his business to focus on virtual presentations and performances. Drawing on his expertise in audience connection and perception management, he transformed what could have been a business crisis into an opportunity for innovation. Within hours of lockdown announcements, he was already pioneering new ways to deliver magical experiences through screens.
His virtual magic shows quickly gained traction, entertaining thousands of employees and teams worldwide. He developed specialized techniques to create genuine human connections in the digital space, from setting up interactive home studios to crafting custom virtual experiences for client appreciation events. His innovative approach to virtual entertainment earned him features on TV news segments and established him as a thought leader in digital presentation.
Throughout the pandemic, Kostya helped other professionals adapt to the digital landscape while creating strategic partnerships with businesses looking to engage their remote teams.
By 2023, Kostya had mastered the art of hybrid presentations, combining the reach of virtual performances with the impact of in-person shows. Today, he continues to travel extensively for live magic shows and keynote presentations while maintaining a strong virtual presence. This dual expertise allows him to offer clients maximum flexibility—whether they need an engaging virtual keynote for a distributed team or a dynamic in-person presentation at their next sales conference.
His understanding of both virtual and physical performance spaces has enriched his signature Think Like A Magician™ methodology, adding new dimensions to his teachings on perception management and audience connection. Whether performing virtually or on stage, Kostya consistently delivers transformative experiences that help organizations enhance communication, boost sales, and create magical moments for their customers.