Be an advocate for SCI priorities: engage federal and state agencies to drive policy and funding improvements to better support SCIs near-term priorities, E.g., Engage the Small Business Administration and Minority Business Development Agency to increase technical assistance programs and annual spend to better support Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) with capital and scaling needs, E.g., Ask the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include multi-dwelling unit connectivity in its new broadband connectivity maps and ask the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to allow non-FCC data in state broadband plans to unlock ~$285M in potential government broadband funding for 5 SCI regions. Fund scholarships and hire coaches ~$35M: scale Birmingham Promise fund to financially support 200-250 students per year over 4 years to increase college retention and graduation rates, 5. Download our newest episodes now! Robert, on the other hand, has donated more than $250,000 to Republican campaigns and political groups. Robert F. Smith is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a leading global technology investment firm. [39][40], The reports state that Brockman's proposal was a "take-it-or-leave-it offer". and increase community outreach to drive regional awareness and new pipeline projects over 5 years, 3. Al Sharpton, Robert F. Smith, Robert F. Smith, Rev. Smith later extended the gift to cover educational debt amassed by the 400 graduates' parents, Morehouse said in a September 20 press release. Smith,. Billionaire investor and CEO of Vista Equity Partners Robert Smith joins CBS This Morning to discuss the Paycheck Protection Program and what his company is doing to help minority-owned small businesses. to 10K+ youths, 7. [61], Smith has received the Candle in Business and Philanthropy Award from Morehouse College,[62] the International Medical Corps Humanitarian of the Year Award,[63] Ebonys John H. Johnson Award,[64] and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Chairman's Award, among others. Raise community awareness & adoption of Emergency Broadband Benefit: increase door-to-door and community outreach in low-income neighborhoods to get households onto EBB to help connect ~35K unconnected households, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): ~35K households get connected to high-speed internet to unlock ~$700M in economic potential for Charlotte, Lead community organization: Prosper Birmingham, 1. Robert F. Smith prioritizes making a difference in the communities where he lives and works. Smith allegedly failed to pay taxes on about $200 million in assets that moved through offshore accounts tied to Robert Brockman, a Houston software businessman. Lives in: Madison, Connecticut Phone: (860) 922-4202. Smith said, The vision I was sold as a kid is unraveling. Robert F. Smith replied to rodheadlee 's topic in Social Hall False. A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. [6], Smith died on September 21, 2020, in Medford, Oregon at the age of 89. "[27], In December 2022, taking a stand together against increasing instances of racism and antisemitism in the US, Smith joined New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Reverends Al Sharpton and Conrad Tillard, World Values Network founder and CEO Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, and Elisha Wiesel to host 15 Days of Light, celebrating Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in a unifying holiday ceremony at Carnegie Hall. Vista Equity partners, has officesin Austin, Chicago, Smith and his wife bought a $20 million Malibu mansion. In 2016, he was named the first African-American, as well as the first non-New Yorker, to be named the chairman of New Yorks Carnegie Hall. [9], The Foundations largest donations have gone to universities. Smiths gift to the class of 2019 was no small sum: according to AJC, the collective student debt amount for the entire class sits at around $40 million. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for RFK Human Rights). View the voter registration of Robert F Smith (born 1952) from East Greenwich, Rhode Island. (Non-profit). Still, the apple didn't fall too far from the tree: Ziff gave to Republican legislators. August 21, 2020. [17], In October 2020, Smith entered a settlement with the DOJ to pay a $139 million penalty and surrender $182 million in charitable tax deductions. As of April 2021, Smith was the wealthiest Black American, with a net worth of $6 billion. In 1689, the British Parliament passed an extensive bill of rights, including the right to keep and bear arms (the people had just had to fight a real civil war). Partygoers weren't . Everything You Need To Know: What Is an HBCU? [2] Wes Cooley, the Republican who had succeeded Smith in the House, had been caught in several lies about his military service and Smith was persuaded to come out of retirement. Robert F. Smith. And I thought liberating 400 spirits 400 years after 1619 is probably a good, good thing to do.". Many private equity executives are regular donors to campaigns on both sides of the aisle, and Smith is no exception. The banker went on to praise Vista, as well, saying "there is no shortage of PE shops that have succumbed to style creep and/or chasing fleeting trends, but Vista has remained focused on enterprise software and technology. Invest directly into SCI (coming soon): provide funding for SCI to pool and invest in community initiatives that are most well-positioned for funding and can drive direct community impact. The 2% Solution is a groundbreaking idea for generational change in at-risk communities. Robert Freeman Smith (June 16, 1931 September 21, 2020), commonly known as Bob Smith, was an American Republican politician who represented Oregon in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 and from 1997 to 1999. He was the second highest donor, next to Oprah, who donated $21 million. [51][52] He was later recognized as a distinguished alumnus by the college. He founded Vista Equity Partners, which invests in software companies, in 2000. Education: Willamette University : Robert Freeman Smith (June 16, 1931 - September 21, 2020), commonly known as Bob Smith, was an American Republican politician who represented Oregon in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 and from 1997 to 1999. Komen. Search; . [5] The wedding was attended by F. F. Montgomery, the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, among others. Smith was born in Portland, Oregon, and grew up in Burns, Oregon. [48] He has donated to the Sphinx Organization, which supports diversity in the arts. No matter our skin color or our political beliefs, we must all agree that the right to vote is foundational to our democracy and who we are." -Robert F. Smith In March 2021 and again in January 2022 Smith collaborated with dozens of Black executives and the Freedom to Vote Alliance to condemn new voting restrictions that harken back to Jim Crow. [5], On February 8, 2016, Smith struck and killed a pedestrian while driving in Medford, Oregon. And in 2018, Smith dropped $59 million on a three-story New York City penthouse in the Getty, a new luxury building in Chelsea. Robert Frederick Smith (born December 1, 1962) is an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. Copyright 2023 InfluenceWatch. [26] According to Forbes, "Smith is the first African-American to sign the Giving Pledge, a commitment to contribute the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes. Robert F. Smith prioritizes making a difference in the communities where he lives and works. They divorced in 2014. 1. [31][37] Brockman also required the first fund to be located in the Cayman Islands and set aside some of the interest earned to protect him against losses. Political party: Republican: . [44][45], Smith has also served as the chairman of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights,[46] on the board of overseers of Columbia Business School, as a member of the Cornell Engineering College Council,[47] on the Cornell University Tech Board,[9] and as a Trustee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Francisco. 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 on an ongoing basis, no matter what was happening in their personal lives. Smith said, On behalf of the eight generations of my family who have been in this country, were going to put a little fuel in your bus. Smith cooperated with the investigation and agreed to admit misconduct but will not be prosecuted, according to reports. His bio from Black Enterprise reads in part. This grant helped digitize Armstrong's collection to make it available to the public. [10] [11], After the Morehouse College donation, the Fund II Foundation co-founded the Student Freedom Initiative with a $50 million grant. I said that was fantastic, because, while I was only a junior in high school, I was getting A's in computer science and my advanced math courses, so it was like I was in college. Rhode Island. According to Black Enterprise, his estimated net worth as of 2019 is $5 billion. As of April 2021, Smith was the wealthiest Black American, with a net worth of $6 billion. chairman for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. The gift will support an undergraduate scholarship fund to provide at least 7 students a year from urban high schools with up to $45,000 in grants, in addition to setting up a graduate fellowship fund to support 12 masters students and five doctoral students who attended historically black colleges and universities. He continued to work there as an intern during his summer and winter breaks before graduating Cornell with a chemical engineering degree. Smith reportedly approached the agency for amnesty from prosecution under a program for Americans who did not report offshore assets but the request was declined. Voreacos, David; Weinberg, Neil. [49], Smith became the board chairman of Carnegie Hall in 2016, the first African American to hold that position. As one of the most active investors in the enterprise software market, Vista believes in the advancement of technology to create opportunity. Private Equity Investor and Philanthropist, Robert Smith is a billionaire American businessman, financier, and philanthropist who amassed his fortune as the founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. Fund SFI program $12M: fund the Student Freedom Initiatives Income Contingent Alternative to Parent Plus to support ~120 Black STEM students per year forever at 3 HBCUs*, * Minority Serving Institutions / HBCUs being considered: Dillard University, Southern University New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana, 6. In a memo sent to Vista employees following the outbreak of widespread protests on the killing of George Floyd, Smith recounted his uncle's murder by a white gas station attendant nearly 50 years ago and called for "love and understanding.". [8], In 2018, the foundation gave $500,000 to the New York Times to finance the 1619 Project, a left-wing journalistic endeavor that asserts the centrality of slavery in the founding of the United States. Robert Smith has 11,381 Voter Records | Page 3 Robert Smith has 11,381 Voter Records There are 11,381 voter registration records for Robert Smith. * CDFIs/MDIs being considered (examples and not exhaustive): Security Federal Bank, Institute / North Carolina Community Development Initiative, Sequoyah Fund Inc,Self-Help Credit Union, BEFCOR, Aspire Community Capital,etc. [59] That same year, Smith donated $2.5 million to the Prostate Cancer Foundation to advance prostate cancer research among African-American men. Follow Robert F. Smith on social media for the latest on his work as a business and philanthropic leader. Among the recognitions he received are: 2020 Forbes Diversity & Inclusion Award 2020TIMEs100 Most Influential People 2019 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy 2019 Inductee into the Texas Business Hall of Fame 2019 UNCF Presidents Award 2018 Honored by National Park Foundation 2017 Columbia University BBSA Distinguished Alumni Award 2016 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Chairs Award 2010 Ripple of Hope Award from Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Forbes 100 Greatest Living Business Minds. They gave us feedback and we made changes, Mnuchin told the Washington Post in June as part of a profile on the businessman. [23], The 2019 PitchBook Private Equity Awards named Vista Equity Partners "Dealmaker of the Year". He went on to study at Cornell and Columbia universities, and he worked at Goldman Sachs before starting his own investment firm. Fund HBCU campus-wide internet up to $50M in donations or in-kind: Partner with the Student Freedom Initiative to deliver campus-wide high-speed internet at ~10 HBCUs across SCI regions, 6. [25] In a June 2020 report, Time reported the launch of The Student Freedom Initiative, a nonprofit led by Smith, to benefit HBCU students. Smith also serves as the chairman for the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. [16], In August 2020, Bloomberg News reported that Robert Smith had been under investigation by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on allegations of tax evasion since 2014. One Twitter user wrote, This is a small example of Black wealth, position, & power used properly., Another user wrote, Imagine if every billionaire did this. [2], After more than a decade out of politics, Smith was elected to Congress from Oregon's 2nd congressional district in 1982. Fund SFI program up to $10M: fund the Student Freedom Initiatives HELPS program to support ~1.5K+ students per year at HBCUs* with emergency expenses e.g., unexpected health costs, late rent payments, etc. [12] In 2018, Smith was included in Vanity Fair's New Establishment List, which is an annual ranking of individuals who have made impactful business innovations. Fund modernization & capacity-building and provide in-kind subject matter experts $30M: help 4-5 CDFIs/MDIs* over 5 years modernize their core systems, hire and train staff, expand marketing and standup SWAT team of experts to conduct needs diagnostic, implement tech solution & provide technical assistance. TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Latest Forbes richest list shows Black billionaires remain a rare club. April 6, 2021. [2][50], Also that year, Cornell University named the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering after him, following a donation. Here's Why Investors Shrugged", "The Billionaire Behind the Biggest U.S. Tax Fraud Case Ever Filed", "Now the Richest Black American, He's Also One of America's Biggest Philanthropists", "Austin billionaire who paid off students' debt has history of giving back", "A "quiet" African American billionaire is offering Nigeria's rescued Chibok girls a new lease of life", "US tycoon helps Chibok pupils back into the classroom", "Robert Smith | Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights", "Carnegie Hall Names New Board Chairman: Private-Equity Financier Robert F. Smith", "Cornell names Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in recognition of the leadership of philanthropist", "Cornell names engineering school after alumnus", "7 More U.S. Philanthropists Sign Giving Pledge", "Billionaire Denverite Robert F. Smith pledges to pay off student loan debt for Morehouse College class of 2019", "NEXUS Summer Program Students Dream Big in Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge", "Louis Armstrong's Life in Letters, Music and Art", "Louis Armstrong's unseen artifacts almost ready for public view", "Warner/Chappell Music CEO Jon Platt Lauded at City of Hope Gala: 'He's the Obama of the Music Industry', "Billionaire, Power 100 Honoree, Robert F. Smith Donates to Prostate Cancer EBONY", "Riverbank's Cultural Center Renamed After $1 Million Gift", "Morehouse gets two $1M gifts at anniversary gala", "EBONY Power 100 2017 Honoree - Robert F. Smith", "President Obama to Deliver Final Keynote at 46th ALC Phoenix Awards Dinner - Congressional Black Caucus Foundation", "Harlem Columbia Grad Billionaire Man Robert F. Smith (Video)", "AU Announces 2015 Commencement Speakers | American University Washington DC", "JUST IN: Morehouse commencement speaker to pay off Class of 2019's student loans", "Billionaire Robert F. Smith pledges to pay off Morehouse College Class of 2019s student loans", "Graduation speaker pledges to pay class of 2019 student debt", "Morehouse Graduates' Student Loans to Be Paid Off by Billionaire", "Morehouse to use $1.5 million gift on scholarships and a new park", "Announcing the 2019 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Recipients", "Kendra Scott's and Robert Smith Invited to be Inducted in 2019 - Texas Business Hall of Fame", "These are the experts, leaders working with Gov. This singular focus over the past two decades enabled Vista to develop an adaptable, analytical approach to growth and cultivate a network of companies composed of industry leaders across end markets. Read more: Read the memo private-equity titan Robert F. Smith, the richest black man in the US, sent to his staff about America's racial unrest. [4] Upon his return, he was elected chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, but only served one term before retiring for good. 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