For American Business Women’s Day, citizens celebrate women across the United States who lead professional and entrepreneurial lives. As a country where nearly half of the labor force are women, it’s shortsighted to take their contributions for granted. But, for Robert F. Smith and others who celebrate the holiday, it’s one of cultural commitment and …
Robert F. Smith For American Business Women’s Day Read More »
From an early age, Robert F. Smith learned the importance of using your position, skills and voice to give back to your community and expand access to opportunities. “When I look at the folks that inspired me growing up, people like Frederick Douglass, they had to stand up and take positions in public in order …
3 Ways Robert F. Smith Uses Leadership to Expand Access for Others Read More »
Being a diversity-conscious employer is extremely important, both for prospective employees and for a business’s ethos. In a 2017 student report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), working for diversity-minded employers was the single greatest preference for African American men and women and among the greatest preferences for other underrepresented student groups. …
Robert F. Smith On Creating Internships For Underrepresented Students Read More »
As Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners and the wealthiest African American man in America, Robert F. Smith is a national leader and critical voice. Outside of managing Vista Equity Partners, Smith focuses on philanthropic efforts to preserve African American history and culture in various settings. Smith is the second-largest private donor to …
Robert F. Smith is Committed to the Preservation of African American History and Culture Read More »
Since the Great Recession more than 6,000 bank branches have closed across the country. And right now, 70 percent of African-American communities lack access to a bank branch, according to Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. This means that too often people in these communities struggle to access the capital …
Robert F. Smith Wants More Banks in African American Communities Read More »
In a moment where the racial disparities entrenched in our society are being thrust into the spotlight, national leaders like Cornell University and Robert F. Smith, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, are stepping up to the plate to make a difference. Cornell University recently announced grant funding to support their work studying …
How Cornell University and Robert F. Smith Are Addressing Racial Disparities Read More »
The pandemic has hit the entire economy hard, but Black-owned businesses have been hit hardest. Black-owned businesses have been twice as likely to close during the pandemic, yet they have also received less aid from the federal government. The ten poorest congressional districts received $13.3 billion less in PPP loans than the ten wealthiest districts. …
How Facebook and Robert F. Smith are Helping Black-Owned Small Businesses Read More »
The Federal Reserve holds an important mandate in America — maximum employment, stabilize prices and moderate long term interest rates. But in the reserve’s long history, the mandate hasn’t focused on Black Americans or eliminating the systemic racism they face in our economy. That’s changing — and the first Black president of a regional Federal …
The Black Unemployment Gap, and What Robert F. Smith Believes Can Be Done About It Read More »
More young people are going into debt than ever before in order to finance their college education. This debt disproportionately impacts Black students — who take on 85.8% more debt than their white counterparts, according to a 2018 study by the American Sociological Association. This debt can be crippling, and it can impact students’ lives …
Robert F. Smith called on institutions to do their part in calling out and addressing systemic racism in America. Columbia Business School recently took steps to do just that. A June 2020 update from Gita Johar, the Vice Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, said that this moment calls for us to create space for …
