From Glassboro classrooms to Off-Broadway stages, alumnus David Corsaro ’98 has built a remarkable career blending marketing expertise with a lifelong passion for magic. His story is one of confidence, creativity and community—qualities he credits to his Rowan education.
Finding Confidence at Rowan
An almost universal feeling for first-year students, when David Corsaro moved to campus as a freshman in fall 1994, he did not yet possess the knowledge and insight as to who he was at his core.
“I graduated from high school sort of a little bit more shy and reserved,” David says. “One of the key things that Rowan really helped me to do was grow confidence and have faith in what my abilities could be.”
David immersed himself in living the college experience.
Through student government, campus clubs and especially Greek life, he discovered the confidence that would carry him through both marketing boardrooms and magic shows.
“I never thought I’d join a fraternity,” David says. “But Theta Chi sought me out after I performed a small magic show in my residence hall. They saw something in me before I did—and that made all the difference.”
Taking on leadership roles within student organizations gave him the chance to refine his communication and event-planning skills, both invaluable to his post-graduation career path. The experiences, he says, “put me in a position of responsibility, which is something that I really wasn’t used to. It really brought out that part of my character.”
His growth as a young magician on campus built transferable skills that enhanced his career readiness. “Magic enabled me to have a lot more confidence when it comes to speaking in front of large groups of people,” he shares. It is more than the speaking itself that is important, he says, as trust and confidence are a huge part of public speaking. Today, he says, “When I’m standing up there in front of a CEO and an entire board of directors of a Fortune 500 client, I know from the magic world that I’ve got the skills necessary to command the room.”
Magic, Marketing & Mentorship – Oh My
For David, Rowan wasn’t just about earning a degree—it was about discovering how his passions for both marketing and magic could thrive side by side.
“Rowan gave me space to grow both as a marketer and a magician,” he says. He adds, “I always say the biggest thing to my success as a magician has been my knowledge of marketing,” he explains. “And the best thing to advance my knowledge of marketing has been any success I’ve had in the magic world.”
David credits the faculty at Rowan for helping him to discover how he fit into the world of marketing, the blending of understanding the business and operations side of the field, along with the creative side involving advertising and promotion. “It really had so much to do with the faculty who were on board,” he says.
He explains, “I had a lot of really great teachers. Here are people who had a real sincere interest in not just teaching the curriculum, but really making sure that their passion for the particular subject was transferred to the students.”
Professors who went beyond the textbook played a big role in shaping that perspective. David recalls faculty members such as Dr. Keith Fabes, who “wanted to get real-world examples and push things a little bit further,” and Professor Tony Fulginiti, who immediately recognized his growth mindset in an advanced public relations class that was, at the time, just outside of his comfort level. “Having a teacher who had that level of confidence in me after just meeting with me for a short period of time made me say to myself, maybe this is something I can do. Maybe I can push myself further.”
That same encouragement extended beyond the classroom. Student organizations welcomed David’s creativity, even using his magic shows as a fundraising and promotional tool for campus clubs. “They saw an opportunity to push their agenda through this really fun, interactive, creative process—that was magic,” he says.
As his confidence grew, David began to recognize how performance and presentation connected to communication and storytelling. Those lessons would carry him from Rowan’s campus into a dual career—one on stage, one in the boardroom.
A Career in Two Worlds
After graduating, David stepped directly into marketing research. Rowan, he says, gave him the right “tools in the toolbox” to walk into a corporate office with confidence. “Once I got into that corporate office and understood the politics, the networking, the client interactions—that helped me know how to take those tools and put them into a real-world experience.”
Over the years, he built a career with several marketing and market research firms, including his current role as VP of Financial Services with the global insights company Escalent.
He points to workplace culture as a defining factor in professional success: “Every company has an environment. Some feed what’s passionate in you, and other ones don’t. The key is to find a culture that you fit in really well.”
At the same time, David never left magic behind. Performing in four Off-Broadway stages in New York City, producing his own long-standing, monthly show at City Winery, and traveling across the country for corporate and charity events, he’s kept both passions alive. “The reality is, I haven’t slept since 2012,” he jokes, before adding that none of it would be possible without his support system—his wife, Lauren, and their twin boys, Matthew and Daniel.
Illustrating his point, he shares, “I was asked to go to Japan and I spent eight days performing all throughout Tokyo, teaching my magic to magicians there and performing for audiences. The idea that I got to do that, arguably with nothing more than a deck of cards … I consider myself to be one of the luckiest people in the world.”
Fooling Penn & Teller
One of the most surreal moments of David’s career came in 2022, when he appeared on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us”, a magic competition TV series in which magicians perform tricks in front of the duo.
“I never in a million years thought I would fool Penn and Teller,” he admits. “All I wanted to do was get on TV, do a really good set and have something I could use when I’m out there promoting myself.”
But when Penn began explaining how they thought the trick worked, David realized they were wrong. “As I started to realize I was about to get this trophy, you can sort of see my face freeze on the YouTube clip. I went from very relaxed to really tight and strict, because all of a sudden I realized what was about to happen. It was truly one of the most incredible experiences of my life.”
The experience didn’t just earn him a trophy—it earned him friends. Winning the top prize on the show meant that David was flown to Las Vegas to perform on stage with Penn and Teller, at their show at the Rio Hotel & Casino. While backstage, Teller stopped by David’s dressing room and wanted to talk about the trick. “He wanted to learn it. He wanted to talk about the nuance,” David shares. “Teller asked me questions about this routine that I created. All of it put me on cloud nine. The idea that I could become friends with somebody who I grew up idolizing is nirvana for me,” he says.
Leaving an Impact
Today, David balances his career, his performances and his family life with a clear sense of purpose. He speaks often to college students about marketing, magic and problem-solving, hoping to inspire confidence the way his Rowan professors once inspired him.
He’s also deeply committed to type 1 diabetes advocacy after his son Matthew’s diagnosis, supporting Breakthrough T1D with charity shows and fundraising.
“I hope to have just a little bit of an impact on a lot of people,” David reflects. “Whether it’s through charity, through students I speak to, or just being there for family and friends—if I can do that little bit for a lot of people, I’m pretty happy.”
Balancing marketing, magic, and family life with his wife and twin sons is no small feat, but David credits his strong support system—and the adaptability he learned at Rowan—for keeping him grounded.
Presto Chango: Advice for Future Profs
David’s last words are encouragement for current and future Rowan students, urging them to embrace both their career goals and their creative passions.
“Whether it’s magic, music, sports or something else—those passions and your profession don’t have to compete,” he says. “They can fuel each other if you keep pushing forward in both.”
If you want to see David perform in your area, visit davidcorsaro.com.
Alumni Success Stories
Explore how our alumni propel their Rowan University education into lasting success, as highlighted through our alumni success series. From Rowan University student to lifelong member of the Rowan University Alumni Association, Rowan Profs thrive at every stage of their journey. Go Profs!