Kostya Kimlat

Kostya Kimlat Speaker Biography

Born in Kiev, Ukraine while it was part of the former Soviet Union, Kostya 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 Kiev to Moscow to New York, finally settling in Orlando, Florida. 

His dad taught Kostya his first simple card trick when he was 8 in Kiev, 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. 

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.

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. 

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.