FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ex’pression College for Digital Arts Mourns Loss of Inspirational Founder and Chairman, Eckart Wintzen

EMERYVILLE, CA — MARCH 24, 2008 — Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, the premier school of its kind in the United States, today announced the loss of its founder and chairman, Eckart Wintzen.  Wintzen passed away Friday, March 21st of heart failure while vacationing in France.

Wintzen, a Dutch entrepreneur, didn’t just help found Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, he actively participated in honing its long-term vision and goals with the management team. “Eckart’s inspiration and vibrant spirit are infused in our daily activity here at Ex’pression.  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,” said Spencer Nilsen, Ex’pression College’s president and creative director.

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 over ten thousand employees 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.  The result: heightened entrepreneurial spirit among employees, teams that communicated better, lower overhead, and less bureaucracy.

Eckart always put his heart and soul in his work for a better world, with a huge focus on environment. His 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.  Eckart also founded Ex’ovision, a company involved in the development and commercialization of a new generation of personal video communication systems. Wintzen was also closely involved with the success of Greenwheels, Ben & Jerry’s, Benelux and other companies.

Eckart Wintzen passed away at the age of 68, just a month short of his 69th birthday.