

Planet Visionaries – SEASON 5
A podcast in partnership with The Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative
For generations, Rolex has supported pioneers who push the boundaries of human endeavour. Today, that legacy continues with a commitment to a new kind of exploration: safeguarding our planet’s future.
In partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, Planet Visionaries is the landmark series hosted by world-renowned climber and founder of the Honnold Foundation, Alex Honnold. This isn’t a podcast about problems; it’s a podcast about solutions.
From rewilding entire landscapes to turning the tide on ocean pollution, we highlight the work of those who are reshaping what’s possible. Featuring intimate conversations with world-renowned figures like Cristina Mittermeier, Mark Ruffalo, Sylvia Earle, and Kris Tompkins, Planet Visionaries is an inspiring testament to human ingenuity in the face of immense challenges.
Join us to hear how a new generation of visionaries is building a healthier, more sustainable world for us all.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production.
In partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, Planet Visionaries is the landmark series hosted by world-renowned climber and founder of the Honnold Foundation, Alex Honnold. This isn’t a podcast about problems; it’s a podcast about solutions.
From rewilding entire landscapes to turning the tide on ocean pollution, we highlight the work of those who are reshaping what’s possible. Featuring intimate conversations with world-renowned figures like Cristina Mittermeier, Mark Ruffalo, Sylvia Earle, and Kris Tompkins, Planet Visionaries is an inspiring testament to human ingenuity in the face of immense challenges.
Join us to hear how a new generation of visionaries is building a healthier, more sustainable world for us all.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 24, 2026 • 35min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 14: Grégoire Courtine & Jocelyne Bloch on Restoring Movement After Paralysis
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold talks to neuroscientist and Rolex Awards Laureate Grégoire Courtine and neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch. Both are pioneers in neurotechnology, using their expertise to help paralyzed people walk again. They explain the groundbreaking science behind their implants and how communication between the brain and the spinal cord can be restored. This episode explores the power of perseverance, innovation and hope in redefining what is possible for recovery.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of
discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative,
Rolex stands alongside the inspiring people who are dedicated to building a better future for all life on Earth.
Credits:
Stills and footage courtesy: Grégoire Courtine & Jocelyne Bloch
Find out more about NeuroRestore
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you to On Air Presents. for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 17, 2026 • 19min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 13: Standing Rock’s Wind Driven Future with Joe McNeil
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold sits down with Joe McNeil, CEO of Sage Development Authority of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. His mission is economic and deeply cultural: to restore long-term stability for the next generation of Lakota people by reclaiming control of their energy future through wind and solar projects designed to keep revenue and opportunity within the community, as well as reshaping land ownership.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside the inspiring people who are dedicated to building a better future for all life on Earth.
Credits:
Stills and footage courtesy: Lightspring Solar and The Honnold Foundation.
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you to On Air Presents. for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 17, 2026 • 21min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 12: Rooted in the Future with Xiye Bastida
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold sits down with Indigenous environmental advocate Xiye Bastida. A global youth leader and co-founder of the Re-Earth Initiative who brings ancestral knowledge into modern climate action, she explains why hope, culture, and collective action are essential to protecting our planet.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside the inspiring people who are dedicated to building a better future for all life on Earth.
Credits:
Stills and footage courtesy: Xiye Bastida
To find out more about the Re-Earth Initiative
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you to On Air Presents. for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 10, 2026 • 24min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 11: The Sound of Conservation
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in
partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold sits down with Ben Mirin, acoustic and ethno-biologist, and Founding Director of the Creative Conservation Lab at Cornell University. Named one of The Explorer’s Club 50 People Changing the World, – Mirin blends sound with science. Together with Honnold, they explore how storytelling through audio can inspire action to protect the planet.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside the inspiring people who are dedicated to building a better future for all life on Earth.
Credits:
Stills and footage courtesy: Ben Mirin and National Arts Centre of Canada.
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you to On Air Presents. for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Feb 3, 2026 • 26min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 10: Update on ending 'Hidden Hunger' with Felix Brooks-church
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold revisits his conversation with Felix Brooks-church, co-founder of Sanku, a non-profit organization tackling ‘hidden hunger’ at scale by fortifying staple foods. At the end of this episode, Brooks-church, a Rolex Awards Laureate, provides an update on his progress towards his ambitious goal of improving the nutrition of 100 million people.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside the inspiring people who are dedicated to building a better future for all life on Earth.
Stills and footage courtesy: Sanku
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment a sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you to On Air Presents. for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 27, 2026 • 29min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 9: How solar transport is helping to save the Amazon with Oliver Utne
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold sits down with Oliver Utne, founder of Kara Solar, an Indigenous-led project building solar-powered riverboats and charging stations in the Amazon. With the support of the Honnold Foundation, Kara Solar gives communities clean, reliable transport that reduces dependence on fossil fuels, strengthens ties between villages and provides an alternative to road building and deforestation.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to protecting the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside the inspiring people who are dedicated to building a better future for all life on Earth.
Stills and footage courtesy: KaraSolar
The New York Times article on Kara Solar.
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you to On Air Presents. for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jan 20, 2026 • 39min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 8: The Ocean has a voice with Cristina Mittermeier
Cristina Mittermeier, a conservation photographer and co-founder of SeaLegacy, passionately advocates for ocean protection through storytelling. She shares her insights from the World Economic Forum, discusses her latest book 'Hope', and highlights how action drives conservation success. Mittermeier explains the High Seas Treaty’s significance and the rapid recovery observed in marine protected areas. Delving into the science of whale communication, she emphasizes the ocean's crucial role in our ecosystem, aiming to rekindle awe and inspire global action.

Jan 13, 2026 • 26min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 7: Speaking Whale - with Dr. David Gruber
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold meets marine biologist, explorer and Project CETI founder David Gruber - a scientist pushing the boundaries of how humans understand the natural world. From discovering the first biofluorescent sea turtle to pioneering soft robotics that allow us to study ocean life without harm, Gruber has dedicated his career to trying to see Earth through the eyes of other species. Now, with Project CETI, he and a team of interdisciplinary researchers are attempting something once thought impossible: translating the
communication of sperm whales.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to supporting initiatives to protect the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands along.
Credits:
For more on Project CETI: https://www.projectceti.org/
Dr. David Gruber shared how his work intersects with ethics and law
through collaborations with César Rodríguez-Garavito at NYU School of Law and
The More Than Human Life Project MOTH
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding
Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at
sonymusic.com/podcasts
and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you
to On
Air Presents.
for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony
Music Podcasts production.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 2, 2025 • 35min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 6: The Solutions Project with Mark Ruffalo and Gloria Walton
In this engaging talk, Mark Ruffalo, the acclaimed actor and environmental advocate, sits down with Gloria Walton, President of The Solutions Project, to discuss shifting power to frontline communities for a sustainable future. They reveal the critical role of grassroots organizations in driving renewable energy initiatives from South-Central LA to Baltimore. Mark shares his journey from anti-fracking activism to leading storytelling as a tool for policy change, while Gloria emphasizes trust-based philanthropy and self-determination in fighting climate challenges.

Nov 25, 2025 • 31min
Planet Visionaries – Ep 5: Through the lens of ice with Paul Nicklen
In this episode of Planet Visionaries, a landmark podcast series in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, host Alex Honnold meets with world-renowned wildlife photographer Paul Nicklen. He shares how his deep reverence for the natural world has evolved into a mission of global advocacy for conservation through his visually stunning work.
For nearly a century, Rolex has supported pioneering explorers. Over time, the company has moved from championing exploration for the sake of discovery to supporting initiatives to protect the planet. Through the Perpetual Planet Initiative, Rolex stands alongside the inspiring people who are dedicated to building a better future for all life on Earth.
Credits:
Stills and footage courtesy: Paul Nicklen, Cristina Mittermeier, SeaLegacy
Theme and score by Kara Talve for Bleeding Fingers Music, produced by Russell Emanuel.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
and follow @sonypodcasts.
Thank you to On Air Presents. for their creative, branding and marketing support.
Planet Visionaries is a podcast in partnership with the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative, and a Sony Music Podcasts production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


