From Broadway to becoming an owner of a plantation-style home, Robert Hartwell’s path may seem unconventional, but what remains consistent is his tendency to break barriers and make history. The North Carolina native launched Broadway Collective, where he leads a staff of industry experts to train the next generation of theater artists. In 2021, Hartwell’s company was recognized by <em>Inc. </em>as one of the fastest private growing companies in America. Hartwell is also a trailblazer for being the only African American CEO in the professional musical theatre education space in New York City. Now, the Broadway star is making history in real estate: Hartwell bought a plantation-style home built in Massachusetts in1820, when slavery was still legal in many states. The power and impact behind a free Black gay man owning a home that our ancestors were once enslaved in is beyond what words could express. However, we can all follow Hartwell's journey to renovate the centuries-old home on HBO’s limited series, <em>Breaking New Ground</em>. — G.E.