Robert F. Smith was born to two working-class parents in a predominantly Black, middle-class neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. From an early age, his parents stressed the importance of giving back and supporting his community. He first learned that everyone had a role to play in creating a better world from watching his parents, who donated their limited resources to charities like United Negro College Fund (UNCF) on an ongoing basis, no matter what was happening in their personal lives.

In 1985, Smith earned a degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University. After graduating, he began working in the engineering industry in applied research and development and received two U.S. and two European patents and numerous awards. He graduated with honors from Columbia Business School in 1994 and entered investment banking in mergers and acquisitions for Goldman Sachs in New York City and later San Francisco. To empower technology companies in the enterprise software market, Smith launched Vista Equity Partners (Vista), a leading global investment firm, in 2000. Under his leadership, the firm’s portfolio has grown to include some of the world’s leading enterprise software companies.

Throughout his life, Smith’s commitment to philanthropy and equity has never wavered, and finding ways to make a difference in the communities where he lives and works is central to his character and approach to life. During his 2019 commencement address at Morehouse College, a Historically Black College, Smith surprised the graduating class by pledging to pay off the entire class’ student loan debt — a $34 million gift that helped nearly 400 graduates. He is also a major donor to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Student Freedom Initiative and the Prostate Cancer Foundation, among many others.