Unsilenced Leadership
Executive Leadership
Meg
Appelgate
CEO
Meg Appelgate's Bio
At the age of 15, Meg was abducted by two strangers in the middle of the night from her California home and was told that “she was coming with them”. 8 hours later she found herself at a lockdown treatment facility in Boise, Idaho. Then, 6 months later, she found herself in an additional behavioral modification program in northern Montana where she spent the next 3 years.
After graduating college, with a degree in psychology, completely oblivious to the abuse she had experienced, Meg spent the next 17 years dedicating her life serving on various non-profit boards to help them with board development and recruitment, and expanding their programs to further their impact. It wasn’t until she was well into her non-profit career that she woke up to the abuse and brainwashing that plagued her childhood and the effect it had on her entire adulthood. It was then that she became determined to pair her love of giving back and helping those in need, with her dedication to empowering other survivors of institutional abuse.
Meg brings to Unsilenced an extensive background in non-profit management, board development, and fund development. She is currently the Vice President, Trustee, and Managing Director at the Gochnauer Foundation. In addition, she is actively involved with and serves on the Board of Directors at Laura’s House in Aliso Viejo, CA, and The Shea Center in San Juan Capistrano, CA. When she doesn’t find herself fully immersed in new ideas for fundraising and development, Meg loves traveling to see new places with her husband and 4 children.
Board of Directors
Bethanie Moriarty
Board Leader
Bethanie Moriarty's Bio
Bethanie L. Moriarty is a lifelong resident of Orange County. Bethanie graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in 2000. She is a networker at heart and finds joy in connecting people in need within the community to answers. Bethanie’s passion for philanthropy runs deep, having grown up in a family that contributed greatly to the community. She has participated in many philanthropic events and non-profits, but most notably is her current position on the Board of Directors at Laura’s House, an organization that provides emergency shelter to women and children fleeing domestic violence situations. Within Laura’s House, Bethanie also serves on the Fund Development Committee, helping to raise funds for their operations and capital campaign.
She is married to Brian Moriarty and currently resides in Laguna Beach with her two children, Lilliana and Rhys. In her spare time, Bethanie enjoys running, pilates, networking, connecting people, and spending time with her family.
Jennifer Ritchie
Board Leader
Jennifer Ritchie's Bio
Jennifer Ritchie is a TV and Film Production Specialist with more than 20 years of experience working in the entertainment industry. Her family has been in the entertainment industry for over 45 years, bringing countless long-standing relationships in the entertainment, news, advertising and PR communities. Jennifer attended the American Film Institute in Hollywood and is not only familiar with Producing a diverse range of productions, she is a skilled Editor experienced in creative development, computer animation, flash and digital effects. Her comprehensive background in film and television credits includes: Director of “Cursing at the Sun”, “Entourage”, “Six Feet Under”, “Fraiser”, “Wings”, and the “Tracy Morgan Show”
Sarah Adolphson
Board Leader
Sarah Adolphson's Bio
Sarah is an expert in entertainment strategy & engagement with extensive philanthropic experience working with many of the world’s leading global celebrities. Her work mirrors the agency’s proficiencies – from advising clients on public/private partnerships to organizational strategy, to brand building and measurement, to creating a corporate social responsibility program.
Drawing on a broad array of multi-faceted local, national, and international relationships, Sarah has collaborated with foundations, corporations, NGOs, and The White House across numerous issue areas, including improving the quality of America’s public education system, the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and including economic support and employment opportunities for veterans.
Before joining The Artemis Agency, Sarah led all philanthropic efforts for WME|IMG, working with high-profile clients to create successful, robust charitable initiatives designed to raise awareness about their individual causes and interests. She also established all of the structure and programming for employee charitable matching, company drives, corporate event sponsorship models, and WME|ING’s global company-wide day of service (Walk the Walk), which facilitated volunteer activities for nearly 5,000 employees in more than 130 communities around the world.
Sarah began her career by serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia where she developed a passion and commitment to community engagement and philanthropic service. She is a graduate of USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and earned her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from USC’s Sol Price School for Public Policy. Her thesis, which reported on the smart practices of public engagement through mobile government solutions, was nominated for the John Randolph and Dora Haynes Foundation Recognition Award. Sarah is a member of the Pi Alpha Alpha and Nu Lamda Mu honor societies and serves on the boards of The Art of Elysium, Imagination Foundation, and the Artists & Athletes Alliance.
Jennifer Risi
Board Leader
Jennifer Risi's Bio
Jennifer Risi is the Founder and President of The Sway Effect, one of the fastest-growing marketing and communications agencies today. At the heart of The Sway Effect’s work, the agency is focused driving brand reputation while putting diversity, equity and inclusion at the center of everything of everything that we do. Risi is an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience in strategic global media relations, CEO positioning, change management, and crisis communications. Among her numerous accomplishments, Risi was named a PR News Top Women in PR for three years in a row, was inducted into the 2019 PRWeek Hall of Femme and most recently, The Sway Effect was named 2021 PRovoke Media New Agency of the Year.
Misha Osherovich
Board Leader
Misha Osherovich's Bio
Misha Osherovich is a non-binary actor, filmmaker, and mental health/LGBTQIA+ advocate. (Pronouns they/them)
They can be seen in the Peacock series THE GIRL IN THE WOODS, and the Blumhouse/Universal film FREAKY. Misha wrote, produced, and starred in the award winning short film E.very D.ay. The film tackles mental health and body image within the queer community. Their previous advocacy work includes partnerships with PROJECT HEAL, NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association), VideoOut, and GLAAD. Misha is a survivor of the Troubled Teen Industry.
Non-Profit Counsel
Andrew D. Morton, J.D., M.P.P
Legal Counsel
Andrew Morton's Bio
Mr. Andrew D. Morton is a partner at Handler Thayer LLP and Chair of the firm’s Sports & Entertainment Law Group, serving a client base of professional athletes, Olympians, artists, entertainers, and other public figures who wish to maximize their social impact.
Operating at the intersection of celebrity and philanthropy, Andrew’s innovative practice encompasses all aspects of high-profile philanthropic engagement and branding: from the formation of tax-exempt organizations to ongoing oversight, compliance, governance, and reporting consistent with legal requirements and best practices. Given his deep understanding of various nonprofit legal structures, he often recommends alternative solutions when appropriate, such as establishing a fiscal sponsorship or donor-advised fund (DAF).
Andrew’s breadth of experience in nonprofit corporate governance enables him to intervene at the eleventh hour to support crisis management strategy and remedy operational issues that may threaten public perception or even an organization’s tax-exempt status. Over the past decade, he has successfully obtained numerous retroactive reinstatements of tax-exempt status revocations, public charity reclassifications, and waivers of IRS penalties for tax filing deficiencies.
Based in Washington, DC, Andrew leads clients in the development and execution of public policy efforts, ranging from organizing and overseeing witness appearances before congressional committees, to arranging targeted private meetings with key members of Congress and the Administration. Leveraging his depth of experience and relationships within political circles, Hollywood, and professional sports, he helps clients develop a legislative advocacy strategy and integrate public policy into their long-term business planning.
Along with award-winning actress and philanthropist Julia Ormond, Andrew Co-Founded the Alliance to Stop Slavery & End Trafficking (ASSET), and serves on the Board of Managers of the University of Pennsylvania Law School’s Law Alumni Society, as well as the Advisory Board for the Penn Law Public Service Program.
For his extensive advocacy on behalf of nonprofit clients, the D.C. Bar Association honored Andrew as Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year, and he also received the Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award from the Legal Aid Society. Penn Law recognized him with its Alumni Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the development of law and the legal profession, as well as the Benjamin R. Jones Award for Law and Humanity, the Law School’s most prestigious public interest recognition. Andrew has been peer-selected as a Leading Lawyer annually since 2017.