A research-to-story production company.
Country Roads Studios helps researchers and academic institutions turn important ideas into stories and experiences people actually want to engage with.
Part production company, part creative research lab, we work alongside leading scholars, universities, and think tanks to understand the rigor behind an idea—and then find the most compelling way to bring it into the world. Sometimes that means a film or series. Sometimes a game show, an interactive learning experience, or a format that doesn’t exist yet.
Our founder, Francisco Hernández-Cáceres, spent two decades learning how to capture attention, on air and behind the scenes at Telemundo, NBCUniversal, DirecTV, and CBS, earning three Emmys for work that reached millions. His time at the Harvard Kennedy School led him to a different question: what could those same storytelling instincts do for ideas that matter?
Country Roads Studios was born at that crossroads: research and entertainment, rigor and imagination, ideas and audiences.
Today, we bring that approach to collaborations with researchers and institutions including Harvard and Stanford—combining deep institutional access with more than 20 years of television experience and a willingness to experiment with new formats, emerging technology, and unexpected ways of telling a story.
the crossroads method
At Country Roads Studios, every project begins with finding its crossroads, the place where research meets story, where an old format meets a new idea. That's what we call The Crossroads Method:
Explore. We go beyond the brief, partnering with leading research institutions, including Harvard and Stanford, to understand not just what the research says, but why it matters.
Re-Route. We dream without limits, then look for the unexpected, sometimes clashing, format combinations that make something familiar feel entirely new, the way a decades-old game show became something else entirely once the real science of human connection was built into its mechanics.
Pilot. Before committing real production resources, we prototype cheaply and test with real audiences, seeing what actually lands before we scale.
Land. Twenty years of television instinct takes over, shaping story, pacing, and emotional truth into something people actually want to watch.
Here's what that process has taught us: research doesn't have to feel like research. Done right, it can be funny, surprising, and genuinely fun to watch, without losing an ounce of its rigor. A study can be as gripping as a documentary. A donor film can be as memorable as a viral video. The road changes every time. The crossroads doesn't.
FOUNDER / MANAGING DIRECTOR
Francisco Hernández-Cáceres
Francisco Hernández-Cáceres is a three-time Emmy–winning producer, director, host, and founder of Country Roads Studios.
Born during the Salvadoran Civil War, he grew up witnessing the real-world consequences of a democracy under threat. After migrating to the United States and becoming an American citizen, he built a 15+ year career in television, working both in front of and behind the camera at Telemundo, NBC, CBS, and DirecTV.
During that time, he served as the host of Telemundo’s national morning show Un Nuevo Día and as a contributor to NBC’s Today Show, where he interviewed some of the most influential figures in politics, science, and culture, including Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Al Gore, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Earlier in his career, he was Telemundo’s Film Expert and hosted his own weekly film show on DirecTV, covering major international festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, and Toronto, and interviewing leading figures in global entertainment including George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Will Smith, and Penélope Cruz.
Alongside his on-camera work, Francisco has built a strong track record as a creator and filmmaker. He has directed, written, and produced short films, developed multiple television formats across genres, and led the creation of original content ranging from entertainment and sports to variety and game shows. His short film Bebé a primera vista was presented at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner, and his work as a producer and correspondent contributed to nine Emmy Award nominations for Un Nuevo Día, including three wins.
He later earned a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he focused on the role of media in shaping public discourse. Through Country Roads Studios, he now develops films, television, and live experiences that translate complex ideas—particularly around civic discourse, polarization, and emerging technologies—into stories that connect with audiences and foster understanding.
His perspective as an immigrant, Latino, and LGBTQ+ creator continues to inform his work and his commitment to using storytelling as a tool to bring people together.