Every challenge seeks a solution. That journey is a story.

The Lexicon helps people pay closer attention to what they buy, how they live, and where their responsibility begins for creating a healthier and safer planet for all.

Explore Lexicon of Food

What we make
1b - ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT MARKETPLACE
Can building an Ecological Benefits Framework for carbon markets accelerate our response to climate change?
An EBF (Ecological Benefits Framework) platform can untap the potential for blockchains to reward everyone across the value chain and standardize reporting practices for voluntary carbon markets.
EXPLORE
2b - JUST BIPOC SOURCING
Can we bring greater equity and diversity to supply chains?
JUST BIPOC SOURCING has developed tools that help restaurants and food companies audit their food sourcing practices to support equity and contribute to a more just economy.
EXPLORE
3b - SEAFOOD MAP
Can we build a global knowledge sharing platform for sustainable seafood?
SEAFOOD MAP supports small scale fisheries and aquaculture producers on their path of continuous improvement with tools, resources, and access to a global purchaser network.
EXPLORE
4b - FOODICONS
What would a global visual language for food look like?
LEX ICONS™ bridges cultural barriers, increases consumer literacy, and standardizes the way we explain core concepts at the heart of a more just and sustainable agrifood system.
EXPLORE
5b - REGEN1
Can we develop new markets to support regenerative agriculture?
The REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE platform offers an evidence-backed, place-based, market-driven, and farmer-focused model to rapidly transition agriculture to more regenerative practices, starting in Northern California.
EXPLORE
6b - A GREENER BLUE
Can we create a global storytelling initiative for artisanal fisheries and aquaculture?
A GREENER BLUE will share the inspiring stories of small-scale and artisanal fishers, fish farmers, and fish workers reshaping our oceans, rivers and lakes to build a more sustainable future.
EXPLORE
8b - PROTEIN SHIFT
Can changing what we eat help respond to climate change?
The ALTERNATIVE PROTEINS platform mobilizes and aligns academics, entrepreneurs, investors and NGOs on core principles and practices to support this emerging food sector.
EXPLORE
previous arrow
next arrow
what-we-believe_001_v3.jpeg.001
what-we-believe_002_v2
what-we-believe_003_v2
what-we-believe_004_v2
what-we-believe_005_v2
what-we-believe_006_v2
what-we-believe_007_v2
what-we-believe_008_v2
what-we-believe_009_v2
what-we-believe_010_v2
what-we-believe_011_v2
what-we-believe_012_v2
We use evidence-based storytelling to help people pay closer attention to how they eat, what they buy, and where their responsibility begins for creating a healthier, safer food system.

Stories can inspire.

Words are the building blocks for new ideas. Increasing our literacy and fluency can help us embrace and share new concepts, shift our perspectives, and change the way we think.

It’s a process, one that can help everyone pay closer attention to how they eat, what they buy, and where their responsibility begins for creating a healthier, safer food system.

Stories can mobilize.

The Lexicon treats challenges as stories. The beginning is the problem, the middle is the series of actions taken to confront the problem, and the end is the solution.

Every story has a cast of characters, each with a clearly defined purpose. The Lexicon “casts” domain experts from across the value chain as the principle characters in this story, one where innovative thinking and problem-solving are required to find a solution.

Stories can activate.

The power of stories can turn a solitary journey into a shared experience, a shared perspective, and a shared vision of the world we all want to see.

The Lexicon uses story-based design thinking to help organizations and companies see themselves as protagonists in a narrative that begins with a problem and ends with a solution they’ve helped create.

Information Artworks

It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. We beg to differ. Pictures often ask more questions than they answer. Douglas Gayeton's multi-layered approach mixes photographic collages with descriptive text to explain the core principles and practices of a more sustainable and just food system.

EXPLORE

Short Films

Our award-winning short films are designed for people of all ages. They mix live action videography, photography, and text with hand-drawn animations.

EXPLORE

Interactive Tools

Data on spreadsheets don’t make for the most compelling stories. We use game theory and storytelling tools that put a face and a place on data to make people care and move them to action.

EXPLORE

Activators

We bring together the leading food experts, unite them on real solutions, then transform their ideas into freely available tools for the world to use.

EXPLORE

Our partners include UN agencies, food companies, international NGOs, farmers, ranchers, researchers, and entrepreneurs.

PARTNERS
Douglas Gayeton is an award-winning information architect, filmmaker, photographer and writer.

He directed the KNOW YOUR FOOD series for PBS and GROWING ORGANIC for USDA, MOLOTOV ALVA for HBO, and has authored two books, SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town, and LOCAL: The New Face of Food & Farming in America.

He is also one of Crop Trust’s Food Forever champions and a visiting professor in the Masters Program at Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy.
Laura Howard-Gayeton is a producer, farmer, entrepreneur and executive director of the Lexicon. She pioneered the art of multi-layered narrative approaches to film and video during her life as a commercials producer in Hollywood, then later moved to Northern California and founded the first goat milk ice company in the United States, LALOO’S.
Pier Giorgio Provenzano is The Lexicon’s Head of Digital. Based near Bristol, England, his projects include short films for PBS, USDA, Warner Brothers, and Napster, as well as a feature-length documentary for HBO. He also produced short films for Sustainable Food Trust and GrowEatGather, which showcases British farmers and their role in producing sustainable food.
Alberto Miti Alberto is an associate director at The Lexicon, where he leads impact campaigns (A Greener Blue, Seafood MAP) and multi-stakeholder projects in collaboration with both private and public organizations.

His work leverages evidence-based storytelling, collaborative approaches and story-based design.
Philip Ackerman-Leist is Director of Ecological Benefits and leads the Meat US activator at The Lexicon. A food systems and sustainability expert, researcher, academic, and farmer specializing in American Milking Devon cattle. His three books include A Precautionary Tale: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved its Food Heritage, and Inspired a Movement; Rebuilding the Foodshed; and Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader.

Previously, Philip spent two decades as Professor of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems at Green Mountain College, where he built the nation’s first online graduate program in food systems, an undergraduate program in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, and a 23 acre organic farm. He lives on his family’s off-grid homestead in Pawlet, Vermont.
Trini Pratiwi is an aquaculture specialist with over ten years of experience in sustainable aquaculture and seafood value chain development.

She is currently leading Seafood MAP at the Lexicon and is a project manager for Asian Seafood Initiative Collaborative both towards leveraging support for seafood producers to increase practices, recognition and their livelihood. She collaborates with export market stakeholders including buyers and certification bodies to build innovative tools designed to foster improvement for both aquaculture and fisheries in Asia. Trini has an MScAppScME(Hons) Aquaculture from the University of Tasmania, Australia.
Kavita Malstead is a project manager for The Lexicon's meat sector activator, as well as a storyteller-in-training. With a background in creative writing and studio art, she is committed to tackling challenges in the food system creatively, using storytelling to connect people to their food, the planet, and each other.

Kavita has spent the last year as a Master's student at the University of Gastronomic Sciences studying food from an interdisciplinary perspective. She is excited to bring the theory learned in the classroom to her position with the Lexicon, leveraging a systems-based approach to find solutions to specific food sector issues.
Chloe Cho provides support for The Lexicon's projects, including their activators and flat films. She is a former Project Manager of the Foodicons, Change the Game, and A Greener Blue activators and was a Project Coordinator for REGEN1.

She is a Ph.D. Student at Cornell University, where her research focuses on how local and landscape factors impact insects and their potential to provide ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. She is passionate about science communication, writing, and outreach. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in Genetics & Plant Biology, a B.A. in Data Science, and a minor in Food Systems.
Nathan Shedroff is a seasoned, professional strategist and serial entrepreneur as well as a pioneer in the fields of experience design, interaction design, and information design. Currently, he’s creating new tools and models for new ventures and “total value” (beyond just economic and functional value). He speaks and teaches internationally, and has authored many books.

Nathan is the chair of the groundbreaking Design MBA programs in design strategy at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.
Previous slide
Next slide
Douglas Gayeton is an award-winning information architect, filmmaker, photographer and writer. He directed the KNOW YOUR FOOD series for PBS and GROWING ORGANIC for USDA, MOLOTOV ALVA for HBO, and has authored two books, SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town, and LOCAL: The New Face of Food & Farming in America. He is also one of Crop Trust’s Food Forever champions and a visiting professor in the Masters Program at Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy.
Douglas Gayeton is an award-winning information architect, filmmaker, photographer and writer.

He directed the KNOW YOUR FOOD series for PBS and GROWING ORGANIC for USDA, MOLOTOV ALVA for HBO, and has authored two books, SLOW: Life in a Tuscan Town, and LOCAL: The New Face of Food & Farming in America.

He is also one of Crop Trust’s Food Forever champions and a visiting professor in the Masters Program at Slow Food’s University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy.
Laura Howard-Gayeton is a producer, farmer, entrepreneur and executive director of the Lexicon. She pioneered the art of multi-layered narrative approaches to film and video during her life as a commercials producer in Hollywood, then later moved to Northern California and founded the first goat milk ice company in the United States, LALOO’S.
Laura Howard-Gayeton is a producer, farmer, entrepreneur and executive director of the Lexicon. She pioneered the art of multi-layered narrative approaches to film and video during her life as a commercials producer in Hollywood, then later moved to Northern California and founded the first goat milk ice company in the United States, LALOO’S.
Pier Giorgio Provenzano is The Lexicon’s Head of Digital. Based near Bristol, England, his projects include a short film series for PBS, USDA, Warner Brothers, and Napster, as well as feature-length documentaries for HBO. He has also produced short films for Sustainable Food Trust and GrowEatGather, which showcases British farmers and their role in producing sustainable food.
Pier Giorgio Provenzano is The Lexicon’s Head of Digital. Based near Bristol, England, his projects include a short film series for PBS, USDA, Warner Brothers, and Napster, as well as feature-length documentaries for HBO. He has also produced short films for Sustainable Food Trust and GrowEatGather, which showcases British farmers and their role in producing sustainable food.
Alberto Miti Alberto is an associate director at The Lexicon, where he leads impact campaigns (A Greener Blue, Seafood MAP) and multi-stakeholder projects in collaboration with both private and public organizations.His work leverages evidence-based storytelling, collaborative approaches and story-based design.
Alberto Miti Alberto is an associate director at The Lexicon, where he leads impact campaigns (A Greener Blue, Seafood MAP) and multi-stakeholder projects in collaboration with both private and public organizations.

His work leverages evidence-based storytelling, collaborative approaches and story-based design.
Philip Ackerman-Leist is Director of Ecological Benefits and leads the Meat US activator at The Lexicon. A food systems and sustainability expert, researcher, academic, and farmer specializing in American Milking Devon cattle. His three books include A Precautionary Tale: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved its Food Heritage, and Inspired a Movement; Rebuilding the Foodshed; and Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader.Previously, Philip spent two decades as Professor of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems at Green Mountain College, where he built the nation’s first online graduate program in food systems, an undergraduate program in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, and a 23 acre organic farm. He lives on his family’s off-grid homestead in Pawlet, Vermont.
Philip Ackerman-Leist is Director of Ecological Benefits and leads the Meat US activator at The Lexicon. A food systems and sustainability expert, researcher, academic, and farmer specializing in American Milking Devon cattle. His three books include A Precautionary Tale: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved its Food Heritage, and Inspired a Movement; Rebuilding the Foodshed; and Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader.

Previously, Philip spent two decades as Professor of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems at Green Mountain College, where he built the nation’s first online graduate program in food systems, an undergraduate program in Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, and a 23 acre organic farm. He lives on his family’s off-grid homestead in Pawlet, Vermont.
Trini Pratiwi is an aquaculture specialist with over ten years of experience in sustainable aquaculture and seafood value chain development. She is currently leading Seafood MAP at the Lexicon and is a project manager for Asian Seafood Initiative Collaborative both towards leveraging support for seafood producers to increase practices, recognition and their livelihood. She collaborates with export market stakeholders including buyers and certification bodies to build innovative tools designed to foster improvement for both aquaculture and fisheries in Asia. Trini has an MScAppScME(Hons) Aquaculture from the University of Tasmania, Australia.
Trini Pratiwi is an aquaculture specialist with over ten years of experience in sustainable aquaculture and seafood value chain development.

She is currently leading Seafood MAP at the Lexicon and is a project manager for Asian Seafood Initiative Collaborative both towards leveraging support for seafood producers to increase practices, recognition and their livelihood. She collaborates with export market stakeholders including buyers and certification bodies to build innovative tools designed to foster improvement for both aquaculture and fisheries in Asia. Trini has an MScAppScME(Hons) Aquaculture from the University of Tasmania, Australia.
Kavita Malstead is a project manager for The Lexicon's meat sector activator, as well as a storyteller-in-training. With a background in creative writing and studio art, she is committed to tackling challenges in the food system creatively, using storytelling to connect people to their food, the planet, and each other.Kavita has spent the last year as a Master's student at the University of Gastronomic Sciences studying food from an interdisciplinary perspective. She is excited to bring the theory learned in the classroom to her position with the Lexicon, leveraging a systems-based approach to find solutions to specific food sector issues.
Kavita Malstead is a project manager for The Lexicon's meat sector activator, as well as a storyteller-in-training. With a background in creative writing and studio art, she is committed to tackling challenges in the food system creatively, using storytelling to connect people to their food, the planet, and each other.

Kavita has spent the last year as a Master's student at the University of Gastronomic Sciences studying food from an interdisciplinary perspective. She is excited to bring the theory learned in the classroom to her position with the Lexicon, leveraging a systems-based approach to find solutions to specific food sector issues.
Chloe Cho provides support for The Lexicon's projects, including their activators and flat films. She is a former Project Manager of the Foodicons, Change the Game, and A Greener Blue activators and was a Project Coordinator for REGEN1. She is a Ph.D. Student at Cornell University, where her research focuses on how local and landscape factors impact insects and their potential to provide ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. She is passionate about science communication, writing, and outreach. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in Genetics & Plant Biology, a B.A. in Data Science, and a minor in Food Systems.
Chloe Cho provides support for The Lexicon's projects, including their activators and flat films. She is a former Project Manager of the Foodicons, Change the Game, and A Greener Blue activators and was a Project Coordinator for REGEN1.

She is a Ph.D. Student at Cornell University, where her research focuses on how local and landscape factors impact insects and their potential to provide ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. She is passionate about science communication, writing, and outreach. She is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in Genetics & Plant Biology, a B.A. in Data Science, and a minor in Food Systems.
Nathan Shedroff is a seasoned, professional strategist and serial entrepreneur as well as a pioneer in the fields of experience design, interaction design, and information design. Currently, he’s creating new tools and models for new ventures and “total value” (beyond just economic and functional value). He speaks and teaches internationally, and has authored many books.Nathan is the chair of the groundbreaking Design MBA programs in design strategy at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.
Nathan Shedroff is a seasoned, professional strategist and serial entrepreneur as well as a pioneer in the fields of experience design, interaction design, and information design. Currently, he’s creating new tools and models for new ventures and “total value” (beyond just economic and functional value). He speaks and teaches internationally, and has authored many books.

Nathan is the chair of the groundbreaking Design MBA programs in design strategy at California College of the Arts in San Francisco.

We are storytellers.

The Lexicon™ was founded by social entrepreneurs Douglas Gayeton and Laura Howard-Gayeton in 2009. Joined by Pier Giorgio Provenzano, their work identifies and accelerates the adoption of practices that build more resilient agrifood systems and help combat climate change.

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Follow our latest activities and learn more about how you can take part in your own community.

DONATE NOW

Our work depends on contributions by people like you. If you like what you see, you can support us here!

GET IN TOUCH

We’d love to hear from you! Contact us with general questions or media requests.

This website was built by The Lexicon™, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Petaluma, CA.
Check out our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, and Terms of Use.

Join a bold, new online community for anyone who cares about building more resilient, inclusive food systems.

Contact us

Please share your comments and questions and get a response from a real person!

Home

Application

We’d love to know more about you and why you think you will be a great fit for this position! Shoot us an email introducing you and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!