Story & Lesson Highlights with Robert L. Newman III of Harlem

We recently had the chance to connect with Robert L. Newman III and have shared our conversation below.

Robert L. , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
I’m ‘being called to’ seek more inspiration, to reignite my curiosity, and reconnect with my tribe. I feel like I’ve come a long way, that I’ve reach the top of a mountain, but deep in my chest I know that once I look up I will be simply be at a midpoint or a resting ground and that the true peak is still further in the distance. The work has only just begun and now more than ever I have to reconnect with my ‘why.’

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
After graduating from high school, I moved to Atlanta, GA to get my BA in Business from Morehouse College. Shortly after completing my undergraduate studies, I moved to New York City and have been a Harlem resident ever since. I started my professional career in 2014 at Morgan Stanley, an American multinational investment bank and financial services company, in their Finance department, and have since transitioned to the private investment management firm Neuberger Berman. So in a way, I’ve always worked on Wall St. in one respect or another from the very beginning. After spending a few years getting acclimated to NYC, I decided to take the leap of faith in 2016 to become a “professional” artist. I began showing off my doodles, scribbles, and drafts of my work literally to anyone who would take a look. After a few months of gathering resources, connecting with amazing people, and just plain gritting it out, I landed my first art exhibition at City College of New York. The opening day of the exhibition was April 18, 2016, my grandmother’s birthday. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of being featured in galleries, events and museums across the city of New York. I’ve also begun to explore and expand my creative mediums, adding writing, photography, and curation to my répertoire. I am now the proud Director and Lead Curator of one of the largest, privately owned, black art galleries in New York City; Artfulllwalls Fine Art Gallery in Harlem NYC.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
I’ve never been the type of person to know exactly where I was going or what I’d want to be when I grow up, but I’ve always known what I liked and what direction to head. As far back as I can remember, my interest has always centered Art & Business. I’ve always loved the mix of creativity and practicality. There’s something magical about the question “what can I make that will solve a problem or fill a need for someone else?” I started this inquest at the age of 4 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My grandmother is the woman who set me on my path. She owned a doll shop in the historic Greenwood district, better known as Black Wall Street, from which she sold handmade (black) porcelain dolls. What was even more extraordinary was that she was completely self-taught. I still haven’t been able to fully articulate the amount of inspiration she has given me over the years. As a youngster, she saw that I was active, curious, and if not monitored, a bit mischievous. Her solution was simple: put the energy to use. She sat me down in her shop and showed me how to weave pot holders. I sat there still entranced by the process. After a few days of practice, and probably the good advertising of me sitting in the shop window, I had my first customer. I was completely caught off guard, I didn’t know what to do, how much the pot holders should be, or if I should even be talking to a stranger!! When I asked grandma for advice, she “You can do whatever you want…” To this day, the craziest thing I’ve ever done is believe her.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
It showed me resilience, grit, and persistence — that strength isn’t built in comfort, but in the moments when everything feels uncertain and you keep going anyway.

It taught me patience and grace, the understanding that everything unfolds in its own time, and that growth often happens in silence before it’s visible to the world.

Through pain, I developed empathy for others, realizing that everyone carries battles we cannot see, and that compassion is more powerful than judgment.

Most importantly, suffering taught me to trust the process — to have faith that even the hardest seasons are shaping me for something greater, preparing me in ways that success never could.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Not entirely. In public, I am a community servant, a confident leader, a problem solver for the people with little to no fear. I make decisions quickly and thoughtfully. And I present as if I have boundless energy. In truth, I am as human as everyone else….scared, tired, and searching for answers. I come across as an intense or stern individual, but outside of work, friends would describe me as playful and a jokester. The Office will always be one of my favorite shows because of the legendary practical jokes that the cast played on one another and the pure comedy/levity of it all. Abbott Elementary may soon take its place, however.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I fear that people will think that my path was easy. I fear that they will think that somehow my steps were ordered, or that my circumstances were better from the start, or that I had some unique talent that made me more able to navigate the fields that I have been in. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

What they won’t see are the years of uncertainty, the self-doubt, the closed doors, and the moments when walking away felt easier than pressing forward. My journey has been built on perseverance — on learning how to create opportunity where none seemed to exist.

If there’s any misunderstanding about my legacy, I hope time will correct it: my story isn’t one of ease or advantage, but of endurance, faith, and relentless belief in something greater than my circumstances.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Image of me in jumpsuit Yekaterina Gyadu
Image of me in front of canvas painting; Tarah Paul

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