In the Press
Read the latest news mentions about Robert F. Smith and his business and giving to support his communities.
82 Percent Of HBCUs are Broadband Deserts — Here's How Billionaire Robert F. Smith has Formed a Partnership to Change That
09/23/2022
Robert F. Smith spoke at the National HBCUs Week Conference, an annual event that’s part of the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity. Held in Washington, D.C. over three days, the conference featured a fireside chat with Smith, who sat down with several other prominent figures to discuss pathways for Black student success and emphasized the need to equip HCBUs with more resources, including broadband access.
Read ArticleHP HBCU Conference 2022: A Dialog Aimed at Uplifting HBCU Students Through Digital Inclusion & Transformation
09/23/2022
The HBCU Technology Conference, held from September 13 through the 16th, focused on “The Digital Transformation at HBCUs” and opened with a presentation from Robert F. Smith. Smith emphasized the importance of the HBCU community and the value of sharing knowledge about how to address complex technological issues.
Read ArticleVista Equity Partners Names Winners for 5th Annual Global Hackathon
09/20/2022
Vista Equity Partners, of which Robert F. Smith is Ffounder, Cchairman and CEO, recently announced the completion of its 5th Annual Global Hackathon, a global business innovation competition that featured more than 200 participants. This year’s theme, “Powering the Human Enterprise,” highlighted how software can improve productivity and unleash human potential. Engineering teams from across Vista joined together to tackle a wide range of problems, share best practices for product development and create solutions during the remote hackathon.
Read ArticleArtist Prize Roundup: Jesse Krimes, Odili Donald Odita, and Cesar Viveros Win $75,000 Pew Center Fellowships, Juan Sánchez Wins Artists’ Legacy Foundation Award, and More
09/19/2022
Americans for the Arts, an organization based in Washington D.C., named Robert F. Smith is a recipient of a 2022 National Arts Award for Philanthropy in the Arts. Awardees were given to prominent people who have “reimagined focus on arts as a catalyst for social impact” and will be presented with their honors in New York City on October 17th.
Read ArticleThe Minority Business Development Agency Honors the 2022 MED Week Award Winners
09/18/2022
Robert F. Smith was honored with an award from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the 2022 Minority Enterprise Development Week Awards in Washington D.C. His honor, the Abe Venable Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement, is granted to a person who has played a critical role in the creative, technical, or professional progress of minority business development over the course of their career.
Read ArticleBillionaire Robert F. Smith Delivers Powerful Charge to Support Digital Equity at HBCUs
09/17/2022
Speaking at the HBCU technology conference, Smith encourages the colleges and universities to gain digital resources adequate to prepare resources for the fourth industrial revolution. The virtual conference, presented by HP, featured a fireside chat between Smith and HuffPost editor-in-chief Danielle Belton.
Read ArticleBillionaire Philanthropist Robert F. Smith To Keynote HP's HBCU Tech Conference
09/13/2022
HP continued its partnership with HCBUs by hosting a virtual conference with a keynote address from billionaire philanthropist Robert F. Smith. Through this non-profit, Student Freedom Initiative (SFI), Smith is working with organizations and corporations to advance the technological resources at HCBUs, including digital infrastructure and career development.
Read ArticleBillionaire Philanthropist Robert F. Smith To Keynote HP's HBCU Tech Conference
09/12/2022
Robert F. Smith will be the featured speaker at the second annual virtual technology conference hosted by Hewlett Packard Inc with partners Intel and Microsoft. Set to take place September 13 to 16, the conference will open with a virtual chat with Smith in conversation with HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Danielle Belton.
Read ArticleTeam from NSA Colorado Connects with Local Students through Robotics
09/08/2022
A group of National Security Agency Colorado (NSAC) workers spent the past year mentoring students at Robert F. Smith Science Technology Engineering Art and Math Academy in robotics as part of the National Security Agency’s K-12 Engagement Program. National Security Agency employees spent three days a week at the Denver-based high school, the newest in the city’s public school system, teaching students about everything from programming skills to how they forged their own trajectories to the NSAC.
Read ArticleUnited Justice Coalition To Host Free Social Justice Summit Examining Policing, Wrongful Convictions, Decriminalizing Mental Health and More
07/21/2022
Robert F. Smith calls the United Justice Coalition’s upcoming social justice summit “urgent and necessary”—the event aims to bring together experts across industries to discuss systemic injustice.
Read Article
