Madison is a hands-on family man, chef, author, adventurer, storyteller, and producer, with roots in London, Jamaica, and Detroit. In 2004, upon receiving a four star rating from The Times as executive chef of Ashbells in London’s West End, he established Madison Cowan LLC, a global culinary production company that oversees operations in content creation, licensing and consulting, and private dining that has reached throughout Africa, Europe, Japan, and South America.
Madison has catered to jazz legend Lionel Hampton, singer and human rights activist Odetta, actors Halle Berry, Scarlett Johansson, and Anthony Anderson, rapper and poet Mos Def, fashion icon Donna Karan, playwright Lanford Wilson, former NYC Mayor David Dinkins, and former President Bill Clinton. He credits his mother’s influence as the springboard to his culinary experience: “She made certain I knew my way round the kitchen and would never depend on anyone for a meal. Sage advice I now impart to my own child.”
In 2010 Food Network selected him as a contestant for their hit Primetime series Chopped where he competed and won three consecutive episodes to become the first ever Grand Champion. Following appearances on NBC’s Today Show and CBS This Morning, in April of 2012 he was victorious on Iron Chef America’s epic Battle Kale and co-starred in BBC America’s exciting travel series No Kitchen Required. Madison returned to the tube in late 2013 as a recurring judge in Food Network’s delectable series of chance, Kitchen Casino, and currently features on multiple series such as Tournament of Champions, Guy’s Grocery Games, Guilty Pleasures, and Iron Chef Eats.
Most notably, Madison’s charitable endeavors include advocating globally on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association in its quest to cure the dementia related disease, serving as Chef Advocate for the World Food Programme, a leader in the movement to end hunger while building peace and stability, and was actively involved with former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chefs Move To Schools initiative, which created partnerships for professional chefs and public schools nationwide with the goal of solving childhood obesity within their communities by collaboratively educating children about food and healthy eating.