[82], In October 2022, media outlets including TMZ,[83] Revolt TV,[84] Variety, and Vibe Magazine[85] published an article highlighting Smith being nominated by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to serve as executive producer of a series of film and television projects titled "The GOAT" aimed to tell Mayweather's life story. [78][79], In April 2022, Smith launched the Mount Sinai Robert F. Smith Mobile Prostate Cancer Screening Bus in Harlem, New York, in partnership with Mount Sinai Hospital. They divorced in 2014. [73], In October 2019, Smith received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, which is given to individuals who have donated private wealth to the public. This is the stuff that matters. 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. I saw what they were looking for So I created my own firm.. What are the tools that your audience needs? Neal Stephenson's legacy is coming to Web3. alford arms frithsden walk More than their net worth, Smith says seeing their faces inspired curiosity about their work and made him feel he could pursue the same path. 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. In addition to the settlement, Smith is working with prosecutors in a case against Houston businessman Robert Brockman. 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. I started Vista because I knew no private equity firm would hire me. Its intellectual property resources that you have unique dominion over, says Smith. [75] In April 2020, Governor Greg Abbott named Smith to the Strike Force to Open Texas a group "tasked with finding safe and effective ways to slowly reopen the state" amid the COVID-19 pandemic. [55][56], In 2018, Fund II Foundation gave a $2.7 million grant to the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and Smith has served as a board member since. How do we get a part of that wealth? 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 ~55K unconnected households, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): 55K households connected to high-speed internet to unlock ~$1B in economic potential, Lead community organization: Charlotte Regional Business Alliance, 1. Robert F. Smith has found part of his calling is also to give away his fortune to philanthropic causes that speak to his desire to promote African American culture, education and the arts, as well as other interests. That criminal probe is coming to an end after Smith reached a deal with the Department of Justice, the Associated Press reported. According to Forbes magazine, in 2018, Robert F Smiths net worth was $4.4 billion. Smith grew up in the era of segregation and was a product of school bussing. Smith, who has a net worth of about $5 billion according to Forbes, is the chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity group he founded in 2000 He went on to work first at Kraft General Foods, then at Goldman Sachs before founding his own investment firm. I had to learn a new craft: The Craft of Fundraising. Amanda L. Heslep {{ relativeTimeResolver(1558454499435) }} LIVE [7][8] In 1994, he received his Master of Business Administration from Columbia University with concentrations in finance and marketing. An engineer by training, he worked at Kraft Foods and Goodyear Tire before getting his MBA at Columbia University. It focuses exclusively on investing in software companies. 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. The most important thing you can do as a young person in [the Black] community is to become an expert, Smith said in a candid interview at Columbia Business School in front of the Columbia Black Business Students Association. 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. Smith and Vista are based in Austin, Texas but are deeply invested in tech companies and other ventures in Denver. Here are you best movie and TV show options this weekend on all the major streaming platforms. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. 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. Provide in-kind staff: offer 2-5 FTEs to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (CRBA)over 5 years to track Black-/Brown-executive representation, convene corporate partners to develop executive pipeline and hiring plans and support corporate partners to increase representation from ~10% to 30%+, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): 2.5K+ additional college graduates and 2.5K workers with high-paying wages to drive ~$0.2B in economic growth, 7. In addition to his approximately $40 million dollar gift to Morehouse College graduates, Smith had previously announced a $1.5 million gift to the historically African American, all-male college. * In partnership with National Bankers Association and Appalachian Community Capital; CDFIs/MDIs being considered include: Unity National Bank, Unity Bank of Texas, PeopleFund, Houston Business Development Inc, etc. Leadership Highlight: Lane Colleges SGA President Demetris Johnson Jr. [7], Smith was named in The Chronicle of Philanthropy's "Philanthropy 50" in 2017. 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. WebA former Goldman Sachs investment banker, Smith started his private equity firm Vista in 2000. And thats what I focused on.. As things stand, the current asking price for the Broncos is purportedly in the region of $4 billion, so Smith would be on the hook for $1.2 billion out of the gates. [25] In a June 2020 report, Time reported the launch of The Student Freedom Initiative, a nonprofit led by Smith, to benefit HBCU students. 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. [28][29]Smith said: "When we unify the souls of our two communities, we can usher in light to banish the darkness of racism, bigotry, and antisemitism. 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 Smiths $20 million gift to the National Museum of African-American History and Culture (NMAAHC) came only second to Oprah Winfrey. and conference chairman Darius Gant CBS '17 at the end of a funny and inspiring fireside chat. [11] From 1994 to 2000, he worked for Goldman Sachs in technology investment banking, first in New York City and then in Silicon Valley. I lost the ability to go to a movie with my wife and kids, Smith says. 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. I dont have to live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, one stunned graduate told the Associated Press. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital How do you raise funds for a private equity firm?, Smith asked the students and alumni at Columbia Business School. 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. Friday, March 3. I started first as an engineer, then as an investment banker, and then starting Vista [Equity Partners]I realized that I was going to be limited by the amount of capital [I could get invested] if people didnt know who I was, Smith said. He successfully led those efforts for six years but eventuallywanted to venture out on his own. 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. After Smith donated $50 million to his alma mater in 2016, Cornell renamed its school of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering after him. 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. Growing up in Denver, Colorado, Smith only knew one engineer in his Black community. These are the on-ramps in our community. Smith persisted, calling each Monday for five months. He liberated airlines and trucking and enabled the 1980s-1990s boom. We can transcend the script of a pre-defined story, and pave the way for the future that we design. [32][33][34][35][36] According to the DOJ, Brockman, the backer of Smiths first private equity fund, led him to use the offshore trust that concealed income. But we also knew because of the divinity of where wed come from that somebody had done that for us.. 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. 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. [31][37] As part of the deal, Brockman required an offshore trust be set up to conceal earnings from tax authorities and avoid litigation in US courts. Smith is the first African-American to sign the Giving Pledge, a commitment to contribute the majority of his wealth to philanthropic causes. There is a system that has been developed, that we have to develop in technology. 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. There is no substitute for becoming the best at your craft., Smith grew up in the era of segregation and was a product of school bussing. 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. 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. And that takes countless hours and in some cases outreach for knowledge and information and in some cases its [about] building a learned capability. The deal could produce the first Black owner in the NFLs 101-year history. [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. [53] In May 2017, The Giving Pledge announced that Smith had joined as its first African-American signatory. 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. Subsidize internships & apprenticeships $40M: fund the New Orleans Youth Alliance, YouthForce NOLA and the Urban League of Louisiana to place and help subsidize apprenticeships, internships and other work-based learning experiences for ~20K young adults in high-pay sectors (e.g., energy), 5. Though Smiths gift to the 2019 graduates of Morehouse College may be his most eye-catching philanthropic effort, it isnt his first. [23], The 2019 PitchBook Private Equity Awards named Vista Equity Partners "Dealmaker of the Year". Smith, 57, started his professional life as a chemical engineer before going into finance. 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. You didnt get paid for that, Smith remembers. 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! [5][6] Smith earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering fromCornell University in 1985. Jemma Kidd sparked engagement rumours on Friday after she was spotted wearing a huge diamond on her ring finger. In 2019, he made history when he paid off the student loans for the entire Morehouse graduating class of 2019. [91], Smith owns homes in Austin, Texas, Malibu, California, New York City, Denver, and Florida.[92][10][93][94][95]. Scale technical assistance $20M: fund the Urban League of Louisiana, New Orleans Business Alliance, Thrive New Orleans and Propellor to scale bookkeeping, B2C payment, marketing support & subsidized rent to scale 200+ MBEs from <$1M to $5M+ in annual revenue, Estimated impact (of all initiatives): 2.5x increase in MBE value & 8K+ new jobs, boosting Black communitys net worth by ~$2B+, 3. Fund SFI program $120M: fund the Student Freedom Initiatives Income Contingent Alternative to Parent Plus* to support ~1.2K Black STEM students per year forever at 7 HBCUs**, * Student Freedom Initiative serves as lead (main contact if you are interested in learning more and funding this initiative). [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. Smith was born to Dr. William Robert Smith and Dr. Sylvia Myrna Smith, who were both school teachers. Lesson? In 2017, Smith signed on to the Giving Pledge, joining a group of ultra-wealthy individuals including Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett who have publicly committed to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy. Did you know that Vista Equity Partners Founder Robert F. Smith is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha? While this person was actually only a draftsman, Smith still took inspiration from him as he started his journey into the engineering field. In 2000, Smithtook a leap of faithto starthis own private equity firm focused on software and technology-enabled businesses. Then what happens is, leaders will emerge.. We just need to tap that power, that conviction, that determination within us. Proud to have all these BBSA generations together. 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. Smith is also the founding director and President of the Fund II Foundation, which makes grants related to African American cultural preservation, human rights, environmental conservation, music education and sustaining the American values of entrepreneurship, empowerment, innovation and security.. Ha! $2.5 billion, according to our most recent tally. After graduating college, he worked for several major corporations. We bring news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and entertained. In partnership with Sothebys and Sir Richard Taylors WETA Workshop, the auction house is offering unique items from Neal Stephensons Snow Crash archives and lore, comprising physical and digital items connected to the book, including a 1-of-1 NFT. But that sacrifice of personal freedom isnt a big deal to Smith, given what his wealth has allowed him to provide for his community. An entrepreneur and philanthropist, Smith is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. 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): 48K households get connected to high-speed internet to unlock ~$700M in economic potential for Jefferson County, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Income Contingent Alternative to Parent Plus, Houston Minority Supplier Development Council (HSMDC), Office of Information Technology & Innovation, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance (CRBA). Provide loan guarantees $15M: create a fund* to provide 80% loan guarantees over 5 years to encourage lender participation and inject more capital into the community, 4. His concentrations were in finance and marketing. Recently, hundreds of young black professionals and graduate students filled the International House at the Columbia Black Business Student Associations 35th annual conference to hear him speak. [76] Smith was included on the Time 100, Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, in 2020. [65][66] He was awarded an honorary doctorate of International Affairs from American University's School of International Service[67][68] and an honorary doctorate from Morehouse College. The team is reportedly going for an estimated $4 billion, making it the richest sale of any franchise in United States sports history. [57][58], In 2018, Smith was the largest individual donor at the City of Hope Gala, which funds prostate cancer treatment and breast cancer research for black men and women. [16][17][18] Vista has invested in companies such as STATS, Ping Identity, and Jio. 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! Billionaire investor Robert F. Smith, 59, is in the running to own the Denver Broncos, football team.Most importantly, he could become the first black man in history to acquire an NFL franchise. During that event, Smith talked about the tens of millions of dollars he has invested in the Welton Street corridor, the portion of Denver once known as the Harlem of the West for its importance to Black culture. [2] He attended Carson Elementary School and East High School[3] in Denver. Gilbert CarrasquilloFilmMagic/Getty Images, Here's What 5 Teachers Want a Year After Strikes, What America's Richest Ski Town's Handling of COVID-19 Shows. To me there is no substitute for that.Theres no substitute for becoming an expert and being the best at your craft. It seems the Russian army is reactivating these really old tracked fighting vehicles for the war in Ukraine. But despite his past generosity, none can quite compete with the searingly personal touch of Sundays gift to the Morehouse Class of 2019. Komen. Robert Frederick Smith is an African American businessman, chemical engineer, and investor from Denver, Colorado. News of his generosity quickly went viral, but unlike other high-profile billionaires Smith has a bit less name recognition. I guarantee its through technology.. Smith married Hope Dworaczyk, the founder and CEO of skincare company MUTHA, a former Playboy playmate, healthy living advocate, and fashion editor, on July 25, 2015 after she gave birth to their first child in December 2014. Recently, hundreds of young black professionals and graduate students filled the International House at the. * Leading organizations for community strategy include (but not limited to): Community LIFT, Memphis CDFI Network, etc. In late February, photos circulated on social media depicting 70-year-old BTR-50Ps on heavy military flatbed trucks. Scale team ~$3M: hire 3-4 FTEs over 5 years for One Houston Together* to help companies increase MBE spend from ~2% to 5-10%+ as well as BIPOC workforce advancement and BIPOC board representation, 2. did not show up, he got the position, and that summer he developed a reliability test for semiconductors. 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. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! Why? Smith said of his investments in Denvers most storied Black community. 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.. Smith remembers in his younger days reading a spread in Black Enterprise magazine about black businessleaders. Offer more paid internships: signup onto InternX and offer 25+ additional paid internships per year to HBCU/Black students, 4. ", "Influential Black Entrepreneurs - Robert Smith", "Vista Equity: The Biggest Software Group You've Never Heard Of", "Robert F. Smith - Vista Equity Partners", "Vista Equity Partners to pay $1.9 billion in private-equity deal for Apptio", "Vista Equity Partners to invest $1.5B in India's Reliance Jio Platforms", "Vista Equity Partners Is Acquiring Ping Identity", "What to know about Robert F. Smith, the man paying off Morehouse grads' student loans", "Vista's Smith named PEI's 2016 'Game Changer', "Cover Story: Robert F. Smith, Chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners", "Who Is Robert F. Smith? 2023 Forbes Media LLC. He doesnt get to go out to the movies anonymously anymore. 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. Luckily, she seems to have found love again with Arpad who appears to have a penchant for leggy blondes. Robert F. Smith, making the announcement. He found inspiration for the next phase of his career that brought him out of the lab and into the boardroom in private equity and finance. Smith, who has a net worth of about $5 billion according to Forbes, is the chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a private equity group he founded in 2000 that specializes in investing in software companies. 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. During that time, he put up $20 million for Maybe [the highest and best use is] for you to read to a child daily,he said. The staggering amount of money they earned blew him away. Brockman, a part-time resident of Pitkin County, gave Smith $1 billion in 2000 to help launch his highly successful tech investment firm, Vista Equity Partners. [2][50], Also that year, Cornell University named the Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering after him, following a donation. * Minority Serving Institutions / HBCUs in Charlotte that are being considered: Johnson C. Smith University, Johnson & Wales University Charlotte, Charlotte Christian College, 6. club elite rhythmic gymnastics vancouver. In the moment it was like a burden had been taken off.. [39][40], The reports state that Brockman's proposal was a "take-it-or-leave-it offer". 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.