When Christian Gant-Madison '25 looks at youth growing up in the Philadelphia neighborhood he came from, he knows the cycle of violence and trauma that can keep kids stuck in a bad situation.
Through his non-profit, Change the Narrative 333, Gant-Madison hopes to provide information and opportunities to break that cycle for youth from urban areas.
Christian Gant-Madison '25, right, interned with Congressman Gabe Evans (CO-08), left, last summer.
"As I was approaching graduation from Cornell, I saw my senior year as a victory lap," said Gant-Madison, who majored in biology and society. "I've lost multiple childhood friends and some family members to violence, so it meant a lot to the community I come from for me to graduate from Cornell. I know that my life could have been completely different if I didn't have people like my parents and others in my community who were looking out for me."
Now in London pursuing a master's degree in the history of political thought and intellectual history, Gant-Madison is building out partnerships with non-profits in his hometown and working to refine his platform, which will use AI to connect youth to jobs, skill development opportunities, civic education information and social resources. He plans to formally launch the platform and app this spring, so it can be available to help youth secure opportunities for the summer.
"There are a lot of organizations out there doing good work, but it's hard for youth to navigate them on their own," he said. "Plus, there's a lack of education surrounding AI literacy and how to use AI to your advantage."
He thinks Change the Narrative can help urban youth realize they have options and if his pilot launch in Philadelphia is successful, the model could be used anywhere. "I want to help youth and other people in cities feel a sense of ownership of the future," he said. "They don't have to just accept what goes on; they can do something to change it."
Gant-Madison played football at Cornell and chose the biology and society major because he was interested in gaining a more interdisciplinary perspective. He took classes in policy, government and philosophy, along with lots of science and math.
As an emergency room intern in 2024, Gant-Madison said he realized he didn't want to practice medicine, but did want to pursue a career where he could have an impact on policies and regulations related to the healthcare system and other U.S. institutions. Professors urged him to consider the London program to give him a big-picture view of the underpinnings of western governance and economics.
"So far I've found the program to be intellectually rewarding and historically insightful, allowing me to connect the past to contemporary challenges," he said. "This is a valuable perspective after gaining firsthand experience in governance through my Congressional internship on Capitol Hill last summer."
He may combine this master's with a joint JD-MBA program at some point, he said.
"It's a pivotal moment for western countries as a whole and we're at a point where the global economy is being reshaped," he said. "I want to be fluent in policy and in business, so I can drive change both socially and pragmatically."
Gant-Madison said that Cornell professors David Bateman, associate professor of government in the College of Arts & Sciences, and Michael Richards, professor and director of the Sloan Program in Health Administration in the Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, helped him think about the possibilities for his career. Nancy Almann at Blackstone LaunchPad at Cornell helped him connect with alumni and gave him confidence to work on the idea.
"Urban communities have been excluded from knowledge and the educational advantages that knowledge brings," he said. "I believe I can change that."
