Who We Are

Seize the Initiative Inc. is a nonprofit agency that provides mentorship programs and resources for at-risk middle and high school youths in the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan area. We believe every youth deserves the chance to become the person they want to be. This starts with helping them take back control of the life. Only through personal relationships can a sense of individual responsibility be reestablished that will give youth the commitment to follow through on the path to adulthood with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Our Vision

Our vision is that every youth receives the support needed in order to develop the mental, physical and emotional tenacity required to make positive decisions in their life.

Our Mission

Our mission is to develop inimitable relationships amongst young people that will promote pro-social friendships, develop strong interpersonal skills, and reassert a sense of hope in the future.

Antwan Givens: Founder

Antwan Givens is the founder and chief executive officer of Seize the Initiative, Inc. In this role, he leads the organization in the development of youth programs that assist at risk middle and high school age youths, in the Greater Atlanta Metropolitan area, with establishing a sense of purpose for the future. He is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s strategy, vision and operations. He also plays a key role in the continued expansion of strategic corporate relationships, ensuring flexibility in response to an increasingly interconnected and diverse society.

Mr. Givens currently serves as a Space and Waveform Integration Officer in the United States Marine Corps. In this role, he engineer, supervise, and manage the planning, installation and operation of transmission, multiplexing, timing subsystems, circuit integration, and technical control functions within the tactical communications architecture in support of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, Joint, and Coalition networks. He has also served in numerous technical, managerial and executive roles in and out the continental United States since joining the Marines in 2008.

Antwan is a native of the Atlanta Metropolitan area. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Campbell University. He currently serves on several boards nationally and in the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area.

Sharrod Burns: Chief Operating Officer

Sharrod Burns is the chief operating officer of Seize the Initiative, Inc. In this role, Mr. Burns oversees the day to day operations, planning, recruiting, and fundraising for the organization He also performs quality control checks on all administrative documents pertaining to mentors, mentees and logistics. Mr. Burns uses a network of community leaders, school administrators, and parents in the Greater Atlanta area to locate potential candidates and unite them with mentors in the program.

Mr. Burns is a 19-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served as a Communications Chief, Recruiter and Troop Handler. Throughout this time, he was responsible for the management of personnel, operations, budgeting, and administration in order to establish procedures and assist with the direction and supervision of communication functions.