PPB July 2018

V i nce Wi n t e r s S ports were a constant in Vince Winters’ childhood. He grew up in Wantagh, New York, on the south shore of Long Island, in a close-knit community that was teeming with kids. His group of friends motivated and competed with one another in baseball, football, hockey and track. He played in every local league he could find, as well as on his junior high and high school teams. A talented baseball recruit, Winters, who is now president of supplier EG-PRO, was offered several college scholarships, but they were all rescinded after he underwent reconstructive hand surgery due to an accident. Luckily, Winters had other talents to fall back on. “At an early age, my brothers and I were encouraged to remain occupied (and keep quiet) by drawing, coloring and creating art, so I was exposed to both sports and creativity throughout my youth,” he says. When the School of Visual Arts in New York City offered him a scholarship, he seized the opportunity. During his first semester, Winters was introduced to the newly releasedMacintosh computer and the world of desktop publishing and computer graphics. Following his professors’ advice, he set aside his paintbrushes for a keyboard andmouse. Winters’ expertise in desktop publishing led to freelancing opportunities at several top advertising agencies in New York City, but instead of joining one of these firms after graduation, he decided to start his own clothing company. “I enjoyed screen printing artwork onto t-shirts, and color separation came easy to me, so I launched a company called Twisted,” he says. “I sold t-shirts and hoodies to beach shops up and down the Eastern Seaboard. I found a screen- printing factory that backed me, and two years later a group of investors came on board to support the brand.” Three years When injury forced him off the playing field, Vince Winters found another route to the big leagues. by Terry Ramsay Chasing The Dream 22 | JULY 2018 | INNOVATE