Robert F. Smith

Robert F. Smith is a philanthropist, investor and engineer. He serves as Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, which he founded in 2000. Smith, a Colorado native, secured an internship with Bell Labs while still in high school. The internship was intended only for college students. With an interest in technology and science, he then attended Cornell University. There, he received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. After graduating from Cornell, Smith worked at Kraft General Foods and earned two United States and two European patents for coffee filtering systems. He earned his MBA from Columbia Business School in 1994 and remained in New York City to work at Goldman Sachs in technology investment banking. His work with Goldman Sachs led him to San Francisco in 1997, where Smith directed and managed the merger and acquisition activity of large technology companies. Named as one of Forbes’ 100 Greatest Living Business Minds, Smith has received many recognitions for both his business and humanitarian work. Notable honors include the Ripple of Hope Award from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chair’s Award and UNCF’s President’s Award. He was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2019, and in the same year, was named to The Bloomberg 50.

Outside of Vista, Smith provides leadership and guidance to multiple organizations. Various board roles Smith holds include on the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School, Chairman of Carnegie Hall, Member of the Cornell Engineering College Council and serves on the Board of Trustees at the Louis Armstrong House Museum. Smith is also a Founding Partner of REFORM Alliance.

Through his passion for philanthropy, Smith supports several programs and foundations, continuing to inspire others to give back. He is the founding director and President of the Fund II Foundation. The Fund II Foundation provides grants to 501(c)(3) public charities in the areas of preserving the African-American experience, human rights, sustaining American values, promoting music education and conserving the environment. With his support, the internXL program was launched as an extension of the Fund II Foundation. internXL connects students to quality, STEM-related job positions, helping young adults secure a career after graduation. When Smith signed the Giving Pledge in 2017, he committed to invest half of his net worth over the course of his lifetime. These donations will be dedicated to philanthropy or charitable causes. Another example of Smith’s generosity includes a $20 million gift to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2016, which was the largest by an individual donor. In 2019, Smith committed to eliminate the student loan debt of Morehouse College’s graduating class. Morehouse College is a Historically Black College & University (HBCU). After Smith’s pledge, he helped launch Student Freedom Initiative, which can help students avoid lifelong, burdensome debt associated with pursuing a higher education.

Smith has also made an impact in the medical community. Recently, Smith partnered with the Prostate Cancer Foundation. He provided funds for a test to help determine men’s risk of prostate cancer over the course of their life. In 2021, Smith also provided funding to Mount Sinai to create the Robert F. Smith Mobile MRI Unit. The device helps men receive potentially life-saving screenings for prostate cancer. More accessible screening tools could help address inequalities in health care and help Black American men seek preventative care.

Robert F. Smith is the Founder, Chairman and CEO at Vista Equity Partners, based in United States, North America. With a background in Enterprise Software, Robert F. Smith has a rich history of leadership and innovation. Robert F. Smith studied B.S. Chemical Engineering @ Cornell University. Explore their detailed professional journey, key connections, and contributions to the industry on our platform.