Closing out the first day of the conference is keynote speaker Robert F. Smith of Vista Equity Partners.
Robert is the founder, chairman and CEO of leading global technology investor Vista Equity Partners, investing in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled organizations across private equity, permanent capital, credit and public equity strategies. Throughout his life, Robert’s commitment to philanthropy and equity has never wavered (he has signed the Giving Pledge), and finding ways to make a difference in the communities where he lives and works is central to his character and approach to life. During his 2019 commencement address at Morehouse College, a historically Black institution, Smith surprised the graduating class by pledging to pay off the entire class’s student loan debt—a $34 million gift that helped nearly 400 graduates. While we can’t promise that Robert will pay off all our attendees’ mortgages, we can guarantee that he will have an energetic discussion on investment in technology with The Carlyle Group’s Ryan Selwood.
We hope to see you at the final presentation of day one and then at the cocktail reception at Arcadian Court.