Sanjeev Vinodh

Sophisticated magic designed for analytical minds, grounded in cognitive science, and personalized for the people in the room.

Sanjeev brings the same thoughtful approach to your event’s preparation as he does to the illusions themselves. Expect a performance that rewards curiosity, gets people connecting, and feels personal to your gathering, with clear guidance that makes planning easy.

MAGIC THAT INVITES YOU TO THINK

You do not have to switch off your analytical mind to enjoy Sanjeev’s magic. Bring it.

With a background in cognitive science and linguistics from UC Berkeley, Sanjeev designs layered illusions with analytical audiences in mind. His approach developed through performing for Bay Area tech audiences and fellow Berkeley students, and now for engineers, executives, attorneys, and other people who solve problems for a living.

The goal is to create moments that remain astonishing even when you are paying close attention and thinking through every possibility. When you have considered the explanations and still cannot complete the picture, the feeling of wonder can be extraordinary.

That approach makes his work particularly suited to corporate audiences, while bringing the same depth and surprise to private dinners and celebrations.

PERSONALIZATION THAT STARTS BEFORE THE SHOW

Before the event, Sanjeev takes time to learn about the people he will be performing for.

An in-depth conversation leading up to your event gives him a sense of what makes your group distinctive: exciting company news, recent milestones, inside jokes, familiar nicknames, and the people everyone knows.

You can also discuss special guests you would like to highlight, what your audience enjoys, magic they have seen before, and any topics or sensitivities that deserve care.

Those details shape the performance. Sometimes they become part of the magic itself. Often they inform the humor, references, and conversations throughout the event.

Even during walk-around magic, that preparation helps Sanjeev connect with guests. He arrives with an understanding of who is in the room and why they have come together.

WALK-AROUND MAGIC FOR COCKTAIL HOURS AND RECEPTIONS

Walk-around magic, also called strolling, mingling, or mix-and-mingle magic, brings the entertainment directly to small groups throughout your event.

Sanjeev moves through the room, introducing himself and performing close-up magic as guests mingle. People make choices, handle objects, and experience impossible moments right in front of them.

At corporate events, conversations often default to work or the weather. Magic gives people something unexpected to connect over. Colleagues from different departments, clients from different companies, and people who have only exchanged small talk suddenly share a moment of astonishment.

They have something to react to together, compare theories about, and return to in future conversations. A memorable encounter can become the “Do you remember when...?” that people are still discussing months later.

This format works particularly well for:

• Corporate cocktail hours and networking receptions
• Client appreciation events
• Employee celebrations and company holiday parties
• Conference receptions
• Law-firm summer associate events
• Private parties where guests will be mingling

Walk-around magic fits into the flow of the gathering, allowing guests to enjoy the entertainment while continuing to socialize.

CLOSE-UP SHOWS FOR INTIMATE GATHERINGS

A close-up show gives a smaller group a dedicated performance to enjoy together.

For an intimate gathering of 10 to 20 guests, everyone can follow the details, contribute to the interaction, and see the reactions around them. This format can suit a private dinner, milestone birthday, executive gathering, or celebration at home.

The magic happens nearby, with the audience closely involved throughout. The setting allows space for conversation and spontaneous moments that make each performance distinctive.

Sanjeev will discuss the room arrangement with you so guests can comfortably see and enjoy the show.

STAGE MAGIC FOR A SHARED HIGHLIGHT

A stage show brings the whole room together for a scheduled performance.

Guests become central to the action: their decisions, responses, and personalities help shape what happens. The interaction gives colleagues and friends the pleasure of seeing people they know become part of something extraordinary.

If there is someone you would like to celebrate, such as a guest of honor, team member, executive, or special visitor, discuss it with Sanjeev beforehand. He can plan an appropriate way to bring them into the performance.

Stage magic can provide a shared highlight for company celebrations, conferences, holiday parties, awards dinners, and larger private events.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ILLUSION KEYNOTE

For audiences interested in the ideas behind the magic, Sanjeev offers The Psychology of Illusion.

Drawing on his cognitive science and linguistics background from UC Berkeley, this interactive keynote explores how magicians guide attention, use language, and shape perception.

Live demonstrations let the audience experience those principles before examining how they work. The result is a presentation that gives people both the surprise of a magic performance and a closer look at the thinking behind it.

Sanjeev has presented the keynote for audiences at Apple and the San Francisco Exploratorium. It is an option for conference programs, company learning events, and gatherings of curious minds.

ONE FORMAT OR A COMBINATION

You can book walk-around magic, a close-up show, a stage performance, or the keynote. You can also combine formats within the same event.

For example, Sanjeev can mingle with guests during a cocktail reception, then bring everyone together for a show later in the evening. The early interactions build familiarity, giving the shared performance a connection to people in the room.

The right combination depends on your schedule, audience, and priorities. Sanjeev will recommend an approach during your initial conversation.

FLEXIBLE DURATION AND AUDIENCE SIZE

Bookings can range from a 30-minute show to entertainment across a three-hour event or a conference spanning several days.

Audience sizes can range from an intimate group of 10 to 20 people to a stage show or keynote for as many as 1,000 attendees. The format, room layout, visibility, and technical setup are considered together so the performance suits the scale of the gathering.

For walk-around magic, the guest count and available time help determine the best approach to covering the room.

EASY TO PLAN. EASY TO WORK WITH.

You do not need a clear vision for the entertainment, and you do not need to have booked a magician before.

Bring Sanjeev the details you have. Drawing on experience across corporate events, conferences, executive gatherings, and private celebrations, he will recommend the format, timing, and approach best suited to what you want to accomplish.

If your priority is helping guests connect, he can explain where walk-around magic will have the greatest impact. If you want a highlight everyone shares, he can recommend how a show fits into the evening. If you are still figuring out the schedule, he can help you think it through.

You will receive a clear recommendation and quote during the initial call. From there, Sanjeev handles the performance design and coordinates the relevant details with your event team, making the process straightforward from planning through performance.

SOUND, LIGHTING, AND EVENT COORDINATION

Sanjeev brings his own props and microphone, which connects to the venue’s sound system when amplification is needed.

For stage performances and keynotes, he works directly with your venue or on-site technical team to coordinate sound, lighting, and performance cues. Requirements are discussed in advance so your team knows what to expect.

The setup depends on the format and space. An intimate close-up performance and a keynote for a large audience have different needs; Sanjeev will help establish the appropriate arrangement for yours.

CLEAN, CORPORATE-FRIENDLY, AND RESPECTFUL

The show is clean and appropriate for corporate audiences, with no inappropriate humor and no guests made to look foolish.

Participation is an invitation. Guests who take part are highlighted and celebrated, never made the butt of a joke. Their choices help shape the magic, their thoughts become part of the mystery, and their reactions give the room something to share.

Anyone invited onstage is treated with warmth and respect. The aim is for them to leave feeling even better than when they stepped up.

Your preparation conversation is also an opportunity to identify people you would like to feature and flag any boundaries or sensitive subjects. Sanjeev uses that guidance to make the interaction right for your group.

SAN FRANCISCO, THE BAY AREA, AND BEYOND

Sanjeev is based in San Francisco and performs throughout the Bay Area, including the Peninsula, Silicon Valley, the East Bay, and the North Bay.

He also travels nationwide for corporate events, conferences, and private engagements. Share your event location when requesting a quote so travel can be included in the planning.

LET’S FIND THE RIGHT FIT

Send your date, location, estimated guest count, and a brief description of the event through GigSalad.

Whether you want to get conversations started, celebrate someone special, bring the whole room together, or explore the psychology behind illusion, Sanjeev will recommend a performance that fits.

Over the past decade, Sanjeev Vinodh has performed magic on national television, headlined Las Vegas stages, and performed and spoken at some of the world’s biggest companies. He was the youngest magician to fool Penn & Teller on their television show Fool Us, with over 10 million views online.

Based in San Francisco, Sanjeev is a magician and cognitive scientist whose clients include Apple, Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, Samsung, and Cooley. With more than 250 shows performed, he brings intelligent, interactive magic to corporate events and private celebrations across the Bay Area and around the country.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE IMPOSSIBLE

At UC Berkeley, Sanjeev studied cognitive science with a concentration in linguistics. His research explored the psychological and linguistic techniques magicians use to influence people’s choices and rewrite their memories.

That research now informs the illusions he designs, particularly for analytical corporate audiences. Engineers, executives, and lawyers are welcome to lean forward, question what they see, and try to figure it out. Sanjeev builds his magic for that curiosity. He believes some of the most profound wonder comes from thinking through every explanation you can imagine and still encountering something you cannot explain.

His background in corporate branding also helps him understand the audiences he performs for: curious people who appreciate thoughtful details, good storytelling, and a challenge to their assumptions.

FROM THE MAGIC CASTLE TO PENN & TELLER

Sanjeev has performed more than 75 shows across the rooms of Hollywood’s Magic Castle, including the Close-Up Gallery, Peller Theatre, Hat and Hare Pub, and The Cellar.

After fooling Penn & Teller on national television, he was invited to Las Vegas to close their live show. His performance credits also include appearances alongside David Copperfield and Neil Patrick Harris, headlining magic conventions, and performing at San Francisco’s Palace Theater.

TRUSTED BY TECH COMPANIES AND LAW FIRMS

Sanjeev’s corporate work includes repeat engagements for Microsoft and Salesforce, as well as performances for attorneys and summer associates in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Palo Alto.

Whether performing for an intimate executive gathering or a room full of colleagues, he takes time to understand the people in the audience. The company culture, familiar personalities, recent achievements, and shared stories can all become part of the performance.

The aim is a show that feels personal to the room and gives people something new to share.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ILLUSION

Sanjeev also presents The Psychology of Illusion, an interactive keynote delivered for audiences at Apple and the San Francisco Exploratorium.

Combining live magic with insights from cognitive science and linguistics, the keynote explores how attention, language, and perception shape our experience of reality. Audiences experience the illusions firsthand, then examine the thinking behind them.

MAGIC TAILORED TO YOUR EVENT

Sanjeev offers walk-around magic for cocktail hours and networking events, close-up shows for intimate gatherings, stage performances for larger audiences, and The Psychology of Illusion keynote.

He works with clients to find the right format, personalize the performance, and make the planning straightforward. Available for events in San Francisco, throughout the Bay Area, and nationwide.