ROBERT F. SMITH
Philanthropist and advocate for equity, Robert F. Smith began his professional life as a chemical engineer before founding Vista Equity Partners. Smith’s path was marked by his tenacious dedication to the ideals of creativity and innovation in the field of technology. Smith was born in a Denver, Colorado working-class neighborhood in 1962. Both of his parents cared deeply about giving back, and when he was just an infant, his mother brought him to the March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech. Each month, he watched his mom send off a $25 check to the United Negro College Fund – no matter their financial situation. These experiences helped instill in him the belief that everyone, no matter their circumstances, can be a part of making the world a better and more equitable place.
While still in high school, Robert was initially denied a prestigious internship at Bell Labs because they were reserved for college students, but his persistence in calling the company every week for five months paid off when he was eventually offered the position.
Smith continued to work at Bell Labs during his summer and winter breaks while completing his chemical engineering degree at Cornell University. After graduating from Cornell, he worked as an engineer for several top companies, where he was granted two patents in the U.S. and two more in Europe – before going on to earn his MBA with honors from Columbia Business School.
In 1994, Smith joined Goldman Sachs to help develop more robust investment in technology, starting out in New York and later moving to Silicon Valley. He became the Co-Head of Enterprise Systems and Storage, where he assisted massive technology companies like Hewlett Packard, IBM, eBay and Apple with mergers and acquisitions. He was the first person at Goldman Sachs in San Francisco to focus on that specific area of financing.
In 2000, Smith founded Vista Equity Partners to invest in innovation by way of enterprise software and technology solutions. Today, he serves as Chairman and CEO of Vista which opened its headquarters in Austin, Texas and has offices in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Oakland.
Smith has been recognized with honors for his leadership in business and advocacy. And he has used his platform to advocate for diversity and equity. In 2017, Smith signed the Giving Pledge, leading the way as the first Black American to take the pledge in which members dedicate the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Smith actively builds onramps for students and business professionals to find opportunity and success. In 2020, Smith helped launch Student Freedom Initiative to help alleviate student loan debts for minority students.
Smith’s Philanthropy and Advocacy
As Smith’s success in enterprise software with Vista has grown, so too has his philanthropic outreach. Smith is the founding director and President of Fund II Foundation. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to safeguard and provide access to African American history and culture; advocating for equitable music and science education; preserving the environment for the next generation; and, sustaining America’s tradition of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Many were provided a first glimpse of Smith’s determination to liberate the spirit of enterprise and build onramps for the next generation when he paid the student loan debts of the Morehouse College Class of 2019. After paying those loans and consulting with financial experts and education leaders at HBCUs, Smith helped form Student Freedom Initiative. A nonprofit, led by Smith who serves as Chairman, the group’s mission is to enable minority students to excel and secure generational wealth in Black communities.