Robert Hartwell is the host and executive producer of “Breaking New Ground” co-produced by the Oprah Winfrey Network and HGTV currently streaming on MAX.  He is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre Department and has performed in 5 Broadway shows and 2 National Tours. He founded The Broadway Collective in 2016.

As a Director/Choreographer his work has been seen at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, North Carolina Theatre, and Fulton Theatre.  Most recently he directed and choreographed For Colored Boyz  and won the Fulton Theatre’s inaugural Stories of Diversity Playwriting Festival.  

Robert has performed in 5 musicals on Broadway and 2 National Tours: Dreamgirls, Memphis, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Cinderella,  Motown, and Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler. He also stars in Pharrell and Jay-Z’s latest hit single – Entrepreneur – dancing in front of his iconic home.

Robert is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and The University of Michigan’s Musical Theatre department where he earned summa cum laude honors and the Willis Patterson Diversity Award.  

Robert’s story of purchasing a 200-year-old colonial mansion (which was built back when slavery was still legal Federally in the US), went viral, reaching millions of people who were touched by his message of reinvention, liberation, and hope. As a Black gay man, he vowed to fill this home with love, honor his ancestors, tell their stories, and say their names.

In 2022, he launched the premier speaker training program for entrepreneurs to tell their stories – Strength On Stages.

When Robert isn’t telling stories and helping others do the same, he’s obsessing over NPR, his La Marzocco latte art, and dusting his 13 chandeliers.  He divides his time between New York City and his new home in Massachusetts.