Unsilenced Leadership
Meg Appelgate
Founder and CEO
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.
Tim Pitoniak
Senior Director of Volunteer Programs & Partnerships
Tim Pitoniak serves as the Senior Director of Volunteer Engagement & Partnerships at Unsilenced, where he leads the development of a sustainable and impactful volunteer program to support the organization’s mission. With more than 20 years of experience in the humanitarian nonprofit sector.Tim specializes in building mission-driven volunteer initiatives, community engagement strategies, and partnerships that expand organizational impact. Before joining Unsilenced, Tim worked extensively in emergency management and preparedness, collaborating with government agencies, nonprofits, and community organizations to strengthen resilience. He lives in New England with his wife and two sons.
Nicole Pindur
Executive Assistant and Community Connection Manager
Nicole brings both lived experience and professional training to her role at Unsilenced, where she serves as Executive Assistant to the CEO and Community Connection Manager. As a survivor of three TTI programs with a background in psychology, she brings a perspective to this work that is both deeply personal and rigorously informed. Nicole leads efforts across survivor support, education, and advocacy — with a focus on preventing institutionalization within the Troubled Teen Industry and ensuring that survivors have the resources, community, and voice they need to reclaim their lives.
