Creativity and commitment come together on the set of The Visioneers. The goal is to tell real stories of innovation, reminding us that the foundations of a sustainable future are being built today
By Carlos Roa
Photos: Eduardo Hayek
The crew arrives before the sun has fully cleared the horizon. Cables are uncoiled, cases crack open and a low hum of activity becomes the day’s first soundtrack.
On location with The Visioneers, every minute counts because the show is built on momentum: quick-moving shoots, bold locations and a tight-knit team that turns long days into frames of wonder.
The show, produced by Hearst Media Production Group in exclusive partnership with VoLo Foundation and aired on CBS, is in its second season. Recently honored with an award from the Environmental Media Association (EMA), The Visioneers has been making an impact since the moment of its inception.
The series resonates not only for its hopeful message but for the people who make it possible. The multi-award-winning team brings skill, curiosity and an unspoken connection among the crew that shows up on screen as energy. To understand how the magic happens, we spent a day with them.
The episode was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at Gecko Robotics, a company redefining how the world builds, operates and maintains its most critical infrastructure to ensure a more reliable and sustainable future.
Gecko develops advanced fixed sensors and robots that can climb, crawl, swim and even fly, collecting primary data from the physical world.
By combining these data layers with the predictive power of AI, Gecko creates a single integrated source of truth that helps industries make smarter preventive decisions that protect resources and people.
The Host and the Vision
At the center of it all is Zay Harding, host and show concept creator. Known among the team as a master of dad jokes and a king of witty comebacks, he has a quick mind and a talent for clever repartee and perfect touché moments.
The idea for the show began, he says, in a conversation while surfing.
“I had just wrapped a 20-year run as a presenter on PBS’s Globe Trekker, and David S. Vogel was telling me about his incredible nonprofit, VoLo Foundation,” Harding recalls. “As we caught up with one another, telling stories in the ocean, it struck us both that if we were to join forces, his environmental mission with my adventure-travel documentary storytelling style, we could create something bigger.”
That moment in the ocean became the series.
Zay carries a contagious optimism. “The motivation comes naturally; it is everywhere around me,” he says. “Every person we feature, every initiative we document, fills me with energy, hope and excitement.”
The journeys that left the deepest mark? “Iceland’s natural water-to-power and Denmark’s waste-to-power. What unites them is their unwavering hope and humanity.”
Green Notes and Logistic
By the time most crews would be sipping coffee, Mike Manfre, production manager, is already thinking about food and waste. The team calls him “Magic Mike” and “Manifest Manfre” because he is a smooth problem solver and known for attaining the unattainable.
“A typical day for me on location usually starts with helping hire craft services for our shoot,” he says. Manfre is practical and purposeful. “We pride ourselves on reducing single-use plastic on set and try to find more sustainable solutions like canned water or water jugs and encourage people to bring their own reusable bottles. I make sure to remind people of this with our ‘Green Notes’ on the call sheet that is sent out before each shoot.”
Sustainability is woven into logistics. Mike and the team plan routes carefully, hire local audio and B-camera operators and cut down on single-use materials. Even when the shoot lands in a remote place, where finding reliable, eco-friendly crafty or lunch options becomes a real challenge, Mike improvises. “When we can’t find the most sustainable option, I make sure to find a reliable backup with solid organic and bulk water options,” he says.
Field production is a choreography of scheduling, interviews and problem-solving. Anna Scott, senior field producer, stresses the importance of pre-production. “This includes pre-interviews with the contributors, creative discussions with the director and working side by side with the production manager on logistics,” she says.
For Anna, creativity comes first. “We discuss how to film the most impactful and compelling story in the most visually dynamic way. Then you address whether this is all feasible logistically, and if certain aspects are unattainable, you must pivot with creativity and find a different way of telling the story.”
When the weather refuses to cooperate, ingenuity saves the day. Anna recalls Season 1’s Surf, Skate, Science shoot. There was no surf, so the children built a line of surfboards, ran across them and jumped at the end. “It made for great drone footage, and Zay had as much fun as the kids,” she says.
On set, that kind of forethought keeps the day moving.
Framing the Story
Jacqueline Bender, executive producer, showrunner and director, keeps the show true to its core.
A master of multitasking on set, she often directs while dancing, to release stress. The team sometimes calls her “Mom” because she is always checking in to make sure everyone is doing well and has arrived safely at home or on location.
Jacqueline says: “Our mission is to make a series about humans of all ages and backgrounds who are on a mission themselves to protect our planet,” she says. “The episode’s message is never scripted; it emerges from every innovator’s authentic self.”
For Jacqueline, sustainability is non-negotiable. “We integrate sustainability into our creative direction from the start, minimizing plastic use and composting whenever possible. Essentially, we treat minimizing our environmental footprint as a non-negotiable part of our production demands. It forces us to be more creative, not less.”
As the day unfolds, each frame reveals more than a story. It captures the bond of a crew united by purpose. In Part 2 of A Day with The Visioneers, we will step deeper behind the scenes to meet the rest of the team, explore their shared motivation and see how passion and precision bring the show’s vision to life.
