Robert F. Smith

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert F. Smith is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners (Vista), a leading global investment firm. Founded in 2000, Vista invests in enterprise software through private equity and credit. The firm’s Private Wealth Solutions team provides eligible investors with the opportunity to invest in enterprise software.

Smith’s leadership in private equity and innovative approach to investing in enterprise software earned him recognition from Forbes as one of the “100 Greatest Living Business Minds in 2017.” Six years later, Private Equity International (PEI) named Vista the Global Technology Private Equity Firm of the Year.

Smith’s work ethic stems from his upbringing. He was raised by educators who instilled in him the importance of education, hard work and giving back. These principles have shaped his philanthropic efforts. Since 2014, Smith has served as the founding director and President of Fund II Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports social change by awarding grants to public charities. Smith was the first Black American to sign the Giving Pledge, committing to give away the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes during his lifetime. In his pledge letter, he emphasized that leveraging computing power can fuel intellectual capital and transform communities for the better.

Smith made one of his most notable philanthropic gifts in 2019, when he pledged to eliminate the student loan debt of the Morehouse College graduating class, including the debt their parents or guardians had incurred on their behalf. After witnessing the positive impact his pledge had on the Morehouse students, he worked with other business and education leaders to establish Student Freedom Initiative (SFI). SFI is a nonprofit organization that provides eligible students at participating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) with academic, professional and financial support.

Much of Smith’s philanthropic efforts focus on creating academic and professional opportunities for others. In addition to higher education, he supports organizations that expand access to economic mobility and entrepreneurship. Smith’s passion to pay it forward also inspired the creation of Southern Communities Initiative (SCI), a catalytic consortium that accelerates economic growth in six Southern communities through locally led, measured and sustained initiatives. This includes increasing access to capital for entrepreneurs by upgrading the technical abilities and capacities of local lending organizations such as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

Beyond his philanthropy, Smith actively supports other organizations through board service. He is Chairman of Carnegie Hall and Chairman of SFI. He also serves on the Board of Overseers of Columbia Business School and is a member of the Cornell Engineering College Council.

In recognition of his commitment to philanthropy, Smith received theGrio’s Philanthropy Icon Award in 2022 and was named one of TIME100’s “Most Influential People in Philanthropy” of 2025.

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