INFORMATION FOR
Christos Cotsakos ‘73, Ph.D., and his wife Tami Cotsakos ’71, longtime benefactors of William Paterson University, have donated $1 million in private equity stock to the University from their newest entrepreneurial venture, Mutasian Entertainment.
Mutasian Entertainment develops creative educational entertainment for children ages thirteen and under. Mutasia is a land of illogical and utterly impossible critters, each a mixture of two or more animals. The Mutasia Educational Advisory Board is comprised of a select group of National State Teachers of the Year that advises Mutasian Entertainment on educational content development. Mutasia’s branded collection of original multimedia content includes video, books, web games, mobile applications, music, merchandise, and an interactive website.
“The University is tremendously grateful for the continued generosity of Christos and Tami Cotsakos in their support of their alma mater, and especially for this new gift, which will support current and future students in the College of Education,” says Kathleen Waldron, president.
Christos and Tami Cotsakos have been significant supporters of William Paterson for more than a decade. Their generosity has benefitted the University’s Cotsakos College of Business, which is named in honor of Dr. Cotsakos, as well as the Cotsakos Family Scholarship and the Tami Cotsakos Music Scholarship.
A decorated Vietnam combat veteran, Christos Cotsakos was able to attend William Paterson through a combination of the G.I. Bill, an alumni scholarship, and working nights loading trucks. He received a B.A. in communications, cum laude, in 1973, and went on to earn an M.B.A., summa cum laude, from Pepperdine University and a Ph.D. in economics with honors from the University of London.
He is considered to be one of the leading visionaries, architects, and entrepreneurs of e-commerce and e-finance, having served as chairman of the board and chief executive officer for E*TRADE Group, Inc. Currently, he is founding chairman, CEO and president of EndPlay, Inc., a leading provider of SaaS Web content management solutions delivered in the cloud. He also serves as founder, chairman, and CEO of Pennington Ventures, a private digital media and strategic management company, and co-founder and chairman of Mutasian Entertainment. He is a national best-selling author and is among a team of co-inventors listed in multiple patent applications covering technical applications relating to social media and interactive digital technology.
Tami Cotsakos earned a bachelor’s degree in music from William Paterson. She is co-founder and chief creative officer of Mutasian Entertainment, and has served as co-founder and president of Pennington Ventures since 1999, where she co-manages the company's investment portfolio, and is engaged in several civic and charitable endeavors. She chairs the Tami Cotsakos Music Scholarship at William Paterson University and co-chaired the William Paterson University Capital Campaign. Prior to this, she built a career in design, retail, childcare management, and education as an elementary school music teacher in the New Jersey and California public school systems.
Both are actively involved in landmine awareness, education, and removal; veterans affairs; and educational projects, among other philanthropic activities.
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