Lew is the Founder / CEO of Lot21, a content platform and resource helping the design community decarbonize the world—by advancing climate action across the built environment with the design disciplines that shape it. Lot21 is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-partisan, open-source platform.
Lew’s environmental advocacy started with the emergence of the forestry stewardship movement decades ago and has expanded to encompass a range of carbon removal solutions focused on restoring our climate.
Before launching Lot21, Lew led various Steelcase global brands and forward-looking initiatives for over 25 years, during which he commercialized new concepts by bringing them from research through ideation and product development to market, earning 23 patents.
Lew is an active IDSA member, served on the IDSA International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) jury from 2023 to 2024, and is the chair-elect of IDSA’s Circular Design Council. He is also a strategic advisor to eco-minded companies committed to regenerative design, healthier living, and certified green products.
Academic engagements include Parsons School of Design, World Design Organization, IDSA, Rice University Business School, Northwestern University Segal Design Institute, New York Institute of Technology, California College of the Arts, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Graduate School of Design.