About Robert F. Smith
Sections
Smith’s Life and Education
Philanthropist and entrepreneur Robert F. Smith was born to Sylvia M. and William R. Smith in Denver, CO, on December 1, 1962. Smith is part of the fourth generation born in Denver on his father’s side. His parents were both educators and supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. The family lived in a primarily Black, middle-class neighborhood surrounded by hardworking professionals and their families.
As Smith grew up, his parents helped cement his love of learning. When he had the opportunity to attend a desegregated school, Smith was one of the lucky few children in his neighborhood able to attend after several of the buses dedicated to his neighborhood were damaged. Smith said the resources available to him at that school engaged and challenged him to expand his worldview.
In 1985, Smith graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. After a successful early career, Smith pivoted to finance. He attended Columbia Business School, where he earned his MBA in 1994 before joining investment firm Goldman Sachs. In 2000, he made the leap into entrepreneurship by founding Vista Equity Partners (Vista), where he has served as Chairman and CEO for over two decades.
Building Values Through Family and Community
Family traditions of giving, reinforced by the influence of peers and community organizations, continue to guide Smith’s approach to philanthropy. While growing up, Smith watched his family make monthly contributions to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), regardless of their financial situation. He came to understand that his parents donated not as an act of charity but as an investment in the limitless potential of the next generation.
Within his neighborhood, Smith was inspired by what his good friend Dr. Bernice King calls a “Blessed Community.” Neighbors helped neighbors. Children had the benefit of being tutored by older teenagers. The neighborhood’s elders served as role models and mentors. Smith came to understand how fortunate he was to have access to these resources and later committed to helping educational nonprofits across the country bring similar opportunities and resources to communities.
Robert F. Smith announced during his commencement speech at Morehouse College in 2019 that his family would pay off the graduates’ student loan debt.
A long time supporter of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Smith and his brother helped create the Sylvia M. Young Smith Scholarship Program, honoring their mother.
Smith’s experiences were further reinforced when he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha (APA) fraternity as an undergraduate at Cornell University. He became part of the legacy of APA brothers, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Andrew Young. APA’s commitment to community outreach mentoring initiatives is a bedrock of the national fraternity.
These experiences have shaped Smith’s philanthropic focuses, which include education reform, career readiness, healthcare and more. These initiatives are designed to uplift individuals and communities and expand equality of opportunity for all. Smith’s commitment to philanthropy is underscored by his participation in the Giving Pledge. As the first Black American to sign, he pledged to dedicate half of his net worth to supporting communities across the U.S. throughout his lifetime.
“Potential is no guarantee of progress. We will only grasp the staggering potential of our time if we create onramps that empower ALL people to participate.”
-Robert F. Smith
Smith works with local leaders and organizations to help get technology and capital into communities that have historically been neglected.
Breaking Barriers With Educational Opportunity
Smith advocates for opportunity and access for all, believing that the most effective way to uplift individuals is by providing the infrastructure and tools they need to succeed on their own merits. One of the most important ways to accomplish this and create change is through education.
Smith’s focus on education made him wonder what could be possible if a group of young students, ready to graduate college and take on their professional lives, were freed from debt.
Smith decided to eliminate the student loan debt of the 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College and the loans their guardians held on their behalf. He gave each graduate a mission: pay the gift forward.
After his commencement address, Student Freedom Initiative (SFI) was established to help students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Students at Tuskegee University and Virginia State University, along with other participating HBCUs, MSIs and TCUs, have access to support services and flexible college loan options through SFI. In addition, students have access to valuable internship opportunities and career development events through internXL.
Smith has made various commitments to his alma maters over the years. In 2016, Smith and Fund II Foundation, of which he is the founding director and President, made a combined $50 million gift to Cornell University. In 2022, Smith contributed $15 million to Cornell University’s College of Engineering, establishing three scholarship funds. In 2017, Smith gave $15 million to Columbia Business School for its Manhattanville Campus. After the opening in 2022, Smith donated $10 million to establish The Robert F. Smith ’94 Scholarship Fund to support students in need.
Through collaborations with Fund II Foundation, Smith has helped support groups that offer unique educational experiences and opportunities that preserve American history and culture, such as:
- The Sphinx Organization
- The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change
- The Louis Armstrong House Museum
- National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Black History in Two Minutes
Smith’s Board Positions and Philanthropic Accolades
Smith serves as Chairman of SFI and Carnegie Hall and on the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School. He is also a member of the Louis Armstrong House Museum Board of Trustees and the Cornell Engineering College Council.
In addition to his board positions, Smith has received accolades from several institutions and organizations, including the following honors:
Smith shakes hands with another fellow Cornell University graduate at the Cornell University ceremony honoring Icon of the Industry Award recipients.
- The Ripple of Hope Award from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights in 2010
- Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Robert Toigo Foundation in 2013
- Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chair’s Award in 2016
- The Jackie Robinson Foundation ROBIE Achievement in Industry Award in 2016
- Forbes’ 100 Greatest Living Business Minds in 2017
- Robert H. Brown American Journey Award in 2017
- Morehouse College Candle Award in Business and Philanthropy in 2018
- The Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy in 2019
- Harvard’s W.E.B. Du Bois Award in 2019
- UNCF’s President’s Award in 2019
- TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020
- Robert F. Kennedy Justice Prize from The Lawyers’ Committee in 2020
- National Arts Award in 2022
- theGrio’s Philanthropy Icon Award in 2022
- The HBCU Impact Award in 2023
- Visionary Award from the Prostate Cancer Foundation in 2023
- Legal Defense Fund’s National Equal Justice Award in 2023
- The Founders Award from Foster Love in 2023
- The George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award in 2023
- Committee for Economic Development’s Distinguished Leadership Award in 2024
- TIME100’s “Most Influential People in Philanthropy” in 2025
