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. Accelerate digital access initiatives $75M:partner with local orgs* to invest in setting up internet connections / installing hotspots, offering laptops and supporting adoption (through government subsidy technical assistance and digital literacy) to connect ~135K homes to high-speed internet in the Memphis region, 9. [51][52] He was later recognized as a distinguished alumnus by the college. There is a system that has been developed, that we have to develop in technology. Al Sharpton, Robert F. Smith, Robert F. Smith, Rev. As of last year, Smiths company managed more than $26 billion dollars in assets and is considered to be one of the top private equity firms in the country. The billionaire investor also hired Seal and John Legend to perform at his 2015 second wedding to 2010 Playmate of the Year, Hope Dworaczyk. [54] That year, Smith was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Denver. Created This D9 Unity Step, They Couldnt Host Their Step Show Because of COVID-19 So The Black Fraternities and Sororities at University of North Carolina at Wilmington Created This Video, Watch The Yard Partners With Stomp Wars For Virtual HBCU Homecoming Experience, This Is How the Brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Hold It Down at LSU, Watch How The Washington DC Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Just Revealed Its Fall 2020 Line, ICE COLD! Accelerate SCIs digital access initiatives up to $80M in donations or in-kind: invest in setting up internet connections / hotspots, offer laptops/Chromebooks and support adoption (through government subsidy technical assistance and digital literacy) to connect ~145K homes to high-speed internet in the Houston region*, 7. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! Learn More About the Billionaire Whose Generosity Shocked a Graduating Class", "Billionaire Robert F. Smith Launches New Initiative to Ease Student Debt at Historically Black Colleges", "Black and Jewish Leaders Gather at Carnegie Hall to Take a Stand Against Antisemitism and Racism", "Mayor Eric Adams, Rev. The Alphas in St. Louis Just Blew Our Minds With Their Latest Probate Video, Watch How Alpha Phi Alpha Revealed Their New Grad Chapter Initiates in Nebraska, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorors at University of Florida Revealed Their New Members With These Stunning Visuals, Watch How The Kappas at Northwestern University Revealed Their Spring 2020 Line, Watch The Brothers of Kappa Alpha Psi Perform at Langston Universitys 1991 Homecoming Step Show, These Coppin State University Students Remade This Cafeteria Photo From The 1970s, Check Out This 1991 Homecoming Step Show Performance from The Nupes at North Carolina A&T. For other people named Robert F. Smith, see, "At Carnegie Hall, a New Leader With a Son Named Hendrix", "Billionaire Denver native donated $20 million to new African-American museum (Video)", "A Private Equity Titan With a Narrow Focus and Broad Aims", "Cornell Engineering To Recognize Robert F. Smith '85 With 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award", "5 things to know about Robert F. Smith, Morehouse donor to pay off Class of 2019's student loans", "Smith '85 to receive engineering college alumni honor", "Meet Robert F. Smith, the billionaire who's paying off student loans, owns a home in Malibu, and married a former Playboy model in a lavish Italian ceremony", "Who is Robert F. Smith? [1][9][10], After graduating from Cornell, Smith worked at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Air Products & Chemicals, and later at Kraft General Foods as a chemical engineer,[1] where he registered two United States and two European patents. Then what happens is, leaders will emerge.. That criminal probe is coming to an end after Smith reached a deal with the Department of Justice, the Associated Press reported. Here are five key truths for success that came out of Smiths candid talk: The most important thing you can do as a young person is to become an expert. 274 on the Forbes 400 List of Richest Americans and is richer than basketball legend Michael Jordan and BET founderBob Johnson. So one of the things I did was found a brilliant strategic firm to help me organize that process. Fund startups and give access to investor network $70M: grow the Prosper Health Tech Fund powered by Gener8tor and offer venture capital technical assistance to scale 50+ startups from <$1M to $5M+ in annual revenue; near-term priority is to secure $4M in venture investment by end of May 2022, 2. Did you know that Vista Equity Partners Founder Robert F. Smith is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha? But he found this anonymity was holding him back from closing deals in the private equity realm. The deal could produce the first Black owner in the NFLs 101-year history. He used $13 million of the untaxed money at the heart of the investigation to buy a property in Colorado and fund charitable events there, according to the AP. Smith says in the same way that football scouts start early in finding young athletic talent in elementary school, black communities should invest resources in uplifting our own young tech stars. 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, Systems and technology modernization $10M-15M: Add/upgrade core banking systems, hardware and productivity tools, train frontline workforce on new systems & technology and hire engineering specialists to support customization and news systems rollout over 5 years, Talent and workforce $10M: hire and train additional frontline lending staff and invest in recruiting, training, compensation & benefits and retention to increase in-house expertise and loan capacity over 5 years, Other capacity-building and outreach $8M: hire additional staff to increase custom borrower and technical assistance (e.g., credit building, MBE financing options, etc.) Ha! During a commencement speech, Smith vowed to wipe out the student debt of the entire 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College. Smith grew up in the era of segregation and was a product of school bussing. I guarantee its through technology.. Did You Know That Iota Phi Thetas Mike City Produced I Wish by Carl Thomas? Provide technical expertise: offer subject matter and technical expertise to catalyze and support community initiatives, E.g., tax/accounting experts to help MBEs file taxes, E.g., business experts to help MBEs better access capital and craft business plans to scale their teams and operations, 2. But he is Robert F. Smith, the Denver native whose tech investing made him a multi-billionaire, is set to avoid prosecution for tax evasion after reaching a $139 million settlement with the government, officials announced Thursday. Take, for instance, philanthropist and billionaire Robert F. Smith, who has been unable to escape widespread criticism in the press regarding a federal tax evasion inquiry. Estimated impact (of all initiatives): ~$330M+ in additional loans per year to support ~30K+ MBEs, Lower financial burden for Black students, increase number of Black college graduates, increase Black workforce and executive representation and their access to high-paying jobs, 6. Standup MBE fund $15M: standup/scale MBE fund* to offer more flexible access to capital arrangements 400-500 MBEs over 5 years, * Lead organization: The Collective Blueprint; Contributing local organizations for community strategy include (but not limited to): Community Unlimited, Womens Business Center South, Epicenter, others, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): 2.3x increase in MBE value & 20K+ new jobs, boosting Black communitys net worth by ~$3B+, Modernize CDFI/MDI systems and tech as well as recruit and upskill talent to increase CDFI/MDI capacity and ability to inject more capital into Black communities, 3. Robert F. Smith, the Denver native whose tech investing made him a multi-billionaire, is set to avoid prosecution for tax evasion after reaching a $139 million A Brother of Iota Phi Theta Just Won Lincoln University of PAs Homecoming Step Show All By Himself, The Top Iota Phi Theta Graduation Photos of Spring 2022, The Chicago Bulls Brought NPHC Leadership Together To Celebrate D9 Culture For Black History Month, Ferguson Missouris New Police Chief Is a Brother of Iota Phi Theta. Hes also a savvy businessman who graduated with honors from the MBA he earned at Columbia University. It focuses exclusively on investing in software companies. You have reached your limit of free articles. Fund SFI program $7M: fund the Student Freedom InitiativesIncome Contingent Alternative to Parent Plus to support ~15 Black STEM students per year forever at 4 HBCUs**, * Lead organization: The Collective Blueprint; Contributing local organizations for community strategy include (but not limited to): Greater Memphis Chamber and Workforce Midsouth, ** Minority Serving Institutions / HBCUs with STEM programs being considered: Le Moyne-Owen, Baptist Memorial, University of Memphis, Rust College, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): 8K+ additional college graduates and 10K workers with high-paying wages to drive ~$1B+ in economic growth, Increase accessibility, affordability and adoption of high-speed Internet, 8. Webis buddy allen married. [10] According to Black Enterprise magazine, Smith is credited with consistently generating a 30 percent rate of return for his investors from the company's inception to 2020. The Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners has lived his life mostly under the radar, granting limited interviews about how hes built a private equity empire and net worth of $2.5 billion. Robert F. Smith founded private equity firm Vista Equity Partners in 2000. Lead community organization: The Collective Blueprint, Increase the volume and value of Black-owned businesses through corporate MBE spend and MBE startups & scaling, 1. #Repost @columbia_biz with @repostapp Robert F. Smith CBS '94 (former co-president of @columbiabbsa!) They said No.. Accelerate SCIs digital access initiatives up to $35M in donations or in-kind: partner with New Orleanss Office of Information Technology & Innovation and Education SuperHighway to invest in setting up internet connections / hotspots, offering laptops/Chromebook and supporting adoption (through government subsidy technical assistance and digital literacy) to connect ~55K homes to high-speed internet in Greater New Orleans region, 8. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. I realized that part of my role and responsibility nowis I have to give some of these young people someone they can look to and say, Ok, if that guy could do it, I could do it, Smith said. Hes now worth more than $5 billion, making him the richest Black person in America and the 330th richest person in the world, according to Forbes 2020 listing of billionaires. He returned to academia in 1994 to earn his Master of Business Administration from Columbia University. Smiths parents were both schoolteacherswho supported civil rights issues. * In partnership with National Bankers Association and Appalachian Community Capital; CDFIs/MDIs being considered include: First Bancshares, Commonwealth National Bank, TruFund, Sabre Finance, Bronze Valley, etc. * Leading organizations for community strategy include (but not limited to): Community LIFT, Memphis CDFI Network, etc. and conference chairman Darius Gant CBS '17 at the end of a funny and inspiring fireside chat. There have been reports that show the consistent 30% return rate that he gives to his investors. We are only bound by the limits of our own conviction. This agreement came alongside Smith agreeing to assist the DOJ in creating a separate case against Robert T. Brockman, who had been charged with hiding $2 billion in income. [7], Smith was named in The Chronicle of Philanthropy's "Philanthropy 50" in 2017. Dr. William J. Barber II Named Founding Director of Yale Divinity Schools Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, Leadership Highlight: Alabama State Universitys SGA President Dylan Stallworth, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Charters New Alumni Chapter in The Dominican Republic, Leadership Highlight: Mississippi Valley State Universitys SGA President Keyjuan Meeks, The Top Kappa Alpha Psi Graduation Photos of Fall 2022, Throwback! He is most known for founding the private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. Offer more paid internships: signup onto InternX and offer 25+ additional paid internships per year to HBCU/Black students, 4. [91], Smith owns homes in Austin, Texas, Malibu, California, New York City, Denver, and Florida.[92][10][93][94][95]. 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 teams to conduct needs diagnostic, implement tech solution & provide technical assistance. While still in high school, he had a knack for computer science and, Lesson? It worked, until now", "How Billionaire Robert Smith Avoided Indictment in a Multimillion-Dollar Tax Case", "A Buyout Fund C.E.O. Increase MBE certification and scale technical assistance ~$2M: partner with One Houston Together* and the Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HSMDC)** to certify additional MBEs, develop Minority Business Finder database tool and provide resources andservices to help local MBEs scale and participate in Pathways to Excellence program, 3. Smith pledged the Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at Cornell University in 1982. [2] He attended Carson Elementary School and East High School[3] in Denver. But we also knew because of the divinity of where wed come from that somebody had done that for us.. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. As co-head of Enterprise Systems and Storage, he oversaw $50 billion in merger and acquisition activity with the following companies: Apple, Microsoft, Texas Smith recalled enjoying social life during his college years with his brothers from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, on Friday nights, then getting up as early at 6 a.m. the next day to tutor youth in the Ithaca area. [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. How do you raise funds for a private equity firm?, Smith asked the students and alumni at Columbia Business School. They divorced in 2014. Issue digital access equality bonds: issue equality progress bonds and invest proceeds into SCIs digital access initiatives, 5. Smith began his career in business at Kraft General Foods, where he earned a four U.S. and international patents, and joined Goldman Sachs in 1994 before News of his generosity quickly went viral, but unlike other high-profile billionaires Smith has a bit less name recognition. Commit to supplier diversity: increase MBE spend in Charlotte region to 5-10%+, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): 3x increase in MBE value & ~13K new jobs, boosting Black communitys net worth by ~$2B+, 4. Hes nowhere near as rich as he boasts, nor as poor as his critics claim. Even as a successful businessman, in his early years after founding Vista, Smith found that he still flew under the radar of the public eye. Offer in-kind FTEs: provide 2-5 in-kind FTEs to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (CRBA) over 5 years to convene corporate partners, assess their MBE spend, develop pipeline to increase MBE spend to 5-10%+, 2. In an astonishing commencement address, billionaire Robert F. Smith announced on Sunday that he will wipe out student debt for the entire 2019 graduating class at Morehouse College, prompting cheers and more than a few tears from shocked listeners to his commencement speech. Please check your email for confirmation from us. And that takes countless hours and in some cases outreach for knowledge and information and in some cases its [about] building a learned capability. Smith knew his stuff. * In partnership with National Bankers Association and Appalachian Community Capital; CDFIs/MDIs being considered include: Community Unlimited, Hope Credit Union, River City Capital, United Housing Inc, etc. He doesnt get to go out to the movies anonymously anymore. Smith has a net worth of $4.47 billion according to Bloombergs billionaire index, making him the 428th richest person in the Smith, a Columbia Business School alum, dropped knowledge on everything from economic empowerment to how to build the next generation of leaders in the black community. How to Host a Virtual Blood Drive in Honor of Black History Month, 3 Questions Every Neo Needs To Ask During Their First Year In A Black Fraternity/Sorority, Playlist of Black Fraternity and Sorority Members Whove Made Major Contributions to Gospel Music, Student Journalists Representing 47 HBCUs Invited to the White House for Exclusive Press Briefing. [1] He grew up in a predominantly African American, middle-class neighborhood in Denver, Colorado. [74] Smith was also inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame as a Class of 2019 Legend. [23], The 2019 PitchBook Private Equity Awards named Vista Equity Partners "Dealmaker of the Year". [31][37] According to Smith's non-prosecution agreement, Brockman dictated "the unique terms and unorthodox structure to the arrangement" and he accepted the offer as a "unique business opportunity he eagerly wanted to pursue". He gave $20 million to the National Museum of African American History in 2016. According to Forbes magazine, in 2018, Robert F Smiths net worth was $4.4 billion. Director of the NMAAHC, Lonnie G. Bunch III noted that Smith is a part of a new generation of donors that feel they can express themselves through their philanthropy. Over the past five years, Robert F. Smith became one of the nations most prominent billionaire philanthropists. "[30], In August 2020, Bloomberg reported that Smith was facing a tax inquiry regarding a potential failure to pay U.S. taxes on $200 million in assets, intended for U.S. charities, that were transferred through offshore entities. [90] He also has two sons and two daughters with his wife Hope. After graduating from Columbia Business School with honors in 1994, Smith landed a coveted job at Goldman Sachs, focusingon technology mergers and acquisitions. Mayweather said: As someone who owns his own brand, I cant think of better partners than Deon (Deon Taylor), Roxanne (Roxanne Avent Taylor), Robert F. Smith the wealthiest African American in the world and Hidden Empire Films, a prolific Black-owned production company.[86], In 1988, Smith married his first wife, fellow Cornell alum Suzanne McFayden. We have to get it into our communities in ways thats real, and part of our culture, as opposed to something thats the exception to our culture.. Fund IIs list of commitments hints at Smiths own musical side. [69], In May 2019, while at Morehouse College to receive an honorary doctorate and deliver the commencement address, he announced that he and his family would pay off the entire student loan debt of the 2019 Morehouse College graduating class of 396 students. He liberated airlines and trucking and enabled the 1980s-1990s boom. 2023 Forbes Media LLC. Fernando Roig, Turki Al-Sheikh and Peter Lims teams are varying in success, and each has targets still to meet. [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. Abbott's strike force to reopen Texas", "Why graduates of elite universities dominate the Time 100 and what it means for the rest of us", "Billionaire Robert Smith Launches $1.8M Program to Provide Microgrants to HBCU Students In Need", "Robert F. Smith Launching $1.8M Grant Program For HBCU Students", "For(bes) The Culture Newsletter: April Showers Bring Forth Impact And Influence In The White House, In Media And In Entrepreneurship", "Robert F. Smith Pledges $3.8M To Build Mobile Unit That Helps Black Men Be Proactive About Prostate Health", "Cornell receives $15 million for minority engineering student aid", "Exclusive FLOYD MAYWEATHER MAKING 'LAST DANCE' STYLE DOCUSERIES 'The GOAT', "Floyd Mayweather's "The GOAT" docuseries is officially in the works", "Floyd Mayweather Will Tell His Story His Way With 'The GOAT' Docuseries", "Floyd Mayweather Inks Life-Rights Deal With Hidden Empire Films, Announces 'The GOAT' Docuseries About Life and Career", "Hope Dworaczyk Smith Pregnant With Second Child! Asking yourself which of your talents and gifts inspire you to get up in the morning is time well-spent. WebRobert Frederick Smith is an African American businessman, chemical engineer, and investor from Denver, Colorado. Intellectual capital can be cultivated, monetized and instantaneously distributed across the globe and the benefits can then be returned to ones community.Learn more about Robert F. Smiths philanthropy, including his work to preserve and promote African American culture, music and arts education and advocating for human rights. All Rights Reserved. I started Vista because I knew no private equity firm would hire me. His pledge to pay off all the student loan debt for 400 students graduating from Morehouse College made international news in the spring of 2019. March 3rd will forever be enshrined as a pivotal anniversary in the bourbon business. Id say, Look at the data,but I realized the decision makers werent really looking at the data. Conduct advocacy: askUS Treasury & Tennessee Stateto allow Tennessee CDFIs/MDIs to retain SSBCI capital & offer loan guarantees to boost loan issuance, 5. 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 a SWAT team of experts to conduct needs diagnostic, implement tech solution & provide technical assistance. Estimated impact (of all initiatives): 5K+ additional college grads & ~600 workers with senior exec positions / high-paying wages to drive ~$0.2B in economic growth, 6. Smith was the target of a four-year Despite being repeatedly turned away and eventually ignored altogether, one day, he finally got an offer after an older student didnt show up. club elite rhythmic gymnastics vancouver. Smiths $20 million gift to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC) came only second to Oprah Winfrey. We can transcend the script of a pre-defined story, and pave the way for the future that we design. He then sought out the two, three, five other African Americans in engineering that he met during internships and jobs and talked to them about how they found success. [69][70][71][72] He had previously donated $1.5 million to the school in January 2019, to be used for scholarships and a park. The Top Omega Psi Phi Graduation Photos of Fall 2022, 10 Omega Psi Phi Wedding Hops That Prove Omegas Have The Best Wedding Receptions, Throwback: Kappas and Ques Rep Their Orgs in Chubb Rocks 1991 Just the Two of Us, Phi Beta Sigmas Ran Carthon Named General Manager of The Tennessee Titans, Phi Beta Sigmas International President, Chris Rey, Is Running for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, The Top Phi Beta Sigma Graduation Photos of Fall 2022, Dr. Rod Paige, the 7th U.S. Secretary of Education is a Member of Phi Beta Sigma, University of Floridas NPHC Releases Statement in Response to Vandalism of Black Fraternity and Sorority Plaques. Smith has a net worth of $4.47 billion according to Bloombergs billionaire index, making him the 428th richest person in the world and the richest black man in America. [25] In a June 2020 report, Time reported the launch of The Student Freedom Initiative, a nonprofit led by Smith, to benefit HBCU students. Magazines, Hes the first African American to sign the pledge, Cornell renamed its school of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering after him, Or create a free account to access more articles, Who Is Robert F. Smith? Let me give you an example: 10 years ago I decided to go to the Middle East to raise capitaland Id bring my littlestudiesand Id sit there in the waiting room hoping theyd invite me in, after Id flown in to Dubai, or Kuwait or whereverand nothing happened.. And thats what I focused on.. ", "Inspiring Female Founders In The Beauty Industry", "Suzanne McFayden Wiki: Facts about Billionaire Robert F. Smith's Ex-Wife", "How Robert F. Smith, the Wealthiest Black American, Is Making Change", "The World's Billionaires (2016 ranking): #688 Robert Smith", "Real Housewives of Malibu Part 2: Yolanda Hadid Foster sells to Robert & Hope Smith for nearly $20 million", "Billionaire Robert Smith Is Buyer Of Record-Breaking $59M New York Penthouse", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_F._Smith_(investor)&oldid=1140827800, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 00:06. to 10K+ youths, 7. His latest gambit is to become an owner of a National Football League team. [2][41][42] Also in 2014, Smith received an honorary doctorate from Huston-Tillotson University. Watch The Nupes at Sam Houston State University Twirl in The Early 90s, Preserving the Past, Empowering the Future: Dr. Carter G. Woodson and Omega Psi Phis Role In The Creation of Black History Month. Got in Tax Evasion Trouble. 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. Robert F. Smiths secrets to becoming a billionaire should study his journey to the top from his extensive education in engineering Smith went on to relate to the Columbia audience about how times werent always easy for him in the business world, even after hed earned his MBA and founded Vista Equity Partners. Reflects change since 5 pm ET of prior trading day. Smiths agreement to cooperate has put him on a path away from indictment, the AP quoted Anderson as saying. 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 ~145K unconnected households, * Community organization(s) being identified, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): ~145K households connected to high-speed internet to unlock ~$3B in economic potential, Lead community organization: Urban League of Louisiana, 1. If you still havent heard of billionaire Robert F. Smith, its time to start paying attention. Those looking for Robert F. Smiths secrets to becoming a billionaire should study his journey to the top from his extensive education in engineering and finance to his founding of Vista Equity Partners and all the hard work that got him there. [24], On May 19, 2019, during his 2019 commencement speech at Morehouse College, Smith pledged a reported $34M in student loan debt, "(including) the debt of parents and guardians incurred" over the educational pursuit of each member of the 2019 graduating class. When African American financial and Wall Street experts were later profiled in Black Enterprise magazine, Smith found his circle of successful professional Black men was growing even more. We all cried. 1. Offer technical assistance expertise: partner with the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (CRBA) to advise/mentor ~200 MBEs on capital/loan access to help them scale from <$10M to $50M+, 3. The reported four-year probe was not publicly known when Smith made headlines last year for pledging to pay off the student loans of Morehouse Colleges class of 2019. Scale technical assistance $15M: fund*to expand technical assistance through business coaches and wrap-around services for 500+ MBEs over 5 years to help them scale from <$1M to $5M+ in annual revenue, 2. Luckily, she seems to have found love again with Arpad who appears to have a penchant for leggy blondes. 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.