- Born
- Birth nameRobert Frederick Smith
- Entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert F. Smith was born in Denver, CO, to Dr. William R. and Dr. Sylvia M. Smith. He earned a B.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University in 1985 and an MBA from Columbia University in 1994.
In 2000, he founded Vista Equity Partners (Vista), where he serves as Chairman and CEO. Vista is a leading global investment firm that invests in enterprise software through private equity and credit. The firm also offers private wealth solutions to eligible investors and financial advisors. Smith’s leadership extends to cultural and educational institutions, such as Carnegie Hall, where he serves as Chairman and Columbia Business School, where he sits on the Board of Overseers.
Smith’s philanthropic work spans education, economic mobility and historical preservation. He is the founding director and President of Fund II Foundation, an organization that makes grants to public charities in support of creating an enduring American legacy through social change. In 2019, Smith eliminated the student loan debt of the entire Morehouse College graduating class. He later expanded the gift to eliminate the debt held by their parents and guardians on their behalf. His gift sparked the idea for Student Freedom Initiative (SFI). SFI is a nonprofit organization that provides academic, professional and financial support for qualifying students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Smith is also the co-founder of Southern Communities Initiative (SCI), an impact initiative harnessing the power of partnerships, technology and community to accelerate wealth creation and economic opportunity in underinvested communities and businesses across the South. In addition, he serves as the executive producer of Black History in Two Minutes (or so), an educational show with short videos on U.S. history that illustrate how Black Americans have impacted American society.
Smith regularly speaks at events to share his perspectives on business and philanthropy, including the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 2023. In 2025, Smith provided insights for "Lead Boldly: Seven Principles from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," a book that combines Dr. King’s most powerful speeches with Smith’s reflections on the enduring values of leadership, justice and community.
In 2017, Forbes included Smith on its list of the "Greatest Living Business Minds," acknowledging his innovative approach to enterprise software investing. He was named one of TIME100’s "Most Influential People in Philanthropy" of 2025. Smith is also the recipient of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy (2019), theGrio’s Philanthropy Icon Award (2022), the George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award (2023) and the CED Distinguished Leadership Award (2024).
- IMDb mini biography by: Jean Foley
- SpousesHope Dworaczyk Smith(July 25, 2015 - present)Suzanne McFayden(1988 - 2014)
- Smith is an "Honorary Ranger." The title was bestowed by the National Park Foundation in 2018 to recognize his history of aiding in the preservation of Black American history and culture at national parks.
- In 2017, Smith became the first Black American to sign the Giving Pledge.
- Both of Smith's parents were educators and earned doctorate degrees in education.
- Smith became a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha at Cornell University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 1985.
- When he was a young man, Smith imagined that becoming a chemical engineer seemed like the closest thing to being a modern-day alchemist.
- [2019 Morehouse Commencement Address] Where you live shouldn't determine whether you get educated. Where you go to school shouldn't determine whether you get textbooks. The opportunity you access should be determined by the fierceness of your intellect, the courage in your creativity and the grit that allows you to overcome expectations that weren't set high enough.
- [2019 Morehouse Commencement Address] You must become a community builder. You don't want to just be on the bus. You want to own it and drive it and pick up as many people as you can.
- [2019 Morehouse Commencement Address] When Dr. King said that the 'arc of the moral universe bends toward justice,' he wasn't saying it bends on its own accord. It bends because we choose to put our shoulders into it together and push. Technology is creating a whole new set of on ramps to the 21st century economy, and together we well help assure that African Americans will acquire the tech skills and be the beneficiaries in sectors that are being automated.
- [2019 Morehouse Commencement Address] The path you walked along Brown Street this morning to reach this commencement site was paved by men of intellect, character, and determination. These men understood when Dr. King said that the 'arc of the moral universe bends toward justice;' he wasn't saying it bends on its own accord. It bends because we choose to put our shoulders into it together and push.
- [2019 Morehouse Commencement Address] Technology is creating a whole new set of on-ramps to the 21st century economy, and, together, we will help assure that African Americans will acquire the tech skills and be the beneficiaries in sectors that are being automated.
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