Ex’pression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville, Calif., announced the loss of its founder and chairman, Eckart Wintzen, at the age of 68. Wintzen passed away Friday, March 21 of heart failure while vacationing in France, and was a month short of his 69th birthday.
Wintzen, a Dutch entrepreneur, actively participated in developing the college’s long-term vision and goals along with its management team. “Eckart’s inspiration and vibrant spirit are infused in our daily activity here at Ex’pression,” says Spencer Nilsen, Ex’pression College’s president and creative director. “His passion for the advancement of creative arts and support for our innovative and unique curriculum have benefited many students and alumni. It is a very sad day for our extended Ex’pression family and all those who knew Eckart. He was a true mentor and friend.”
In addition to founding Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, Wintzen founded software company BSO (later renamed as Origin) in 1976. During his tenure as CEO, the company became an international corporation employing more than 10,000 people in 20 countries. Early on at BSO/Origin, Wintzen launched a regimen that he called “corporate cell division,” a concept based on biology. By routinely dividing his growing company into separate but related entities, with separate managers and administrative staffs, he kept each cell lean and competitive, cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit among employees, teams that communicated better, lower overhead, and less bureaucracy.
Wintzen’s venture capital vehicle Ex’tent supports young entrepreneurs’ initiatives that point out to the Western society that they can act more responsibly toward each other and the planet. Wintzen also founded Ex’ovision, a company involved in the development and commercialization of a new generation of personal video communication systems, and was closely involved with the success of Greenwheels, Ben & Jerry’s, Benelux and other companies.
For more information, visit Ex’pression’s Website at www.expression.edu.
