Our Team
Tara Backes
Administrative Assistant
Owner of Projects Made Simple, LLC, a virtual-assistant firm, Tara directly focuses her team and work solely with small businesses and nonprofits all over the world. Her mission is to provide day-to-day online support in all areas while helping her clients do what they love. With a Master’s in Business Management and Project Management, she has successfully virtually managed more than 300+ clients and led teams for more than 20 years.
Nicole Nelson
Workbook Co-Author
Nichole Nelson has authored articles about depression, burnout, anger, and claiming a victorious narrative for a mental health magazine. In 2020, she realized that her personal experiences with some of the issues she wrote about resulted from being in at least one high-control group. Janja’s books and class helped her take back her life, so Nichole is honored to be the coauthor of the Take Back Your Life Workbook! Now a student of mental health counseling, her goal is to reduce stigma for survivors and educate other counselors about cults and high-control groups.
Keely Griffin
Research Assistant
Keely is a cult survivor turned activist, dedicated to changing the legal landscape around coercive control. In 2021, she found herself trapped in a dangerous cult, which led her to discover Dr. Lalich’s work and the book Take Back Your Life. Since then, Keely has committed herself to understanding coercion, sharing her experiences, and advocating for accountability. Keely earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, double-majoring in Marketing and Sustainability Management. She now plans to attend law school to specialize in criminalizing coercive control and providing legal counsel to survivors.
Andrew Pledger
Social Media Manager
Andrew Pledger is a cult survivor, podcaster, writer, and freelance social media manager. Raised in the Independent Fundamental Baptist cult, he discovered his queer identity and was determined to leave the group. He eventually escaped the cult after being expelled from Bob Jones University, an insular fundamentalist college. He graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in General Studies/Psychology, intending to help other survivors.
To understand and recover from his cult upbringing, Andrew immersed himself in cult education. He now uses his experiences and knowledge to raise awareness. His podcasts, Surviving Bob Jones University and Beyond BJU: Exposing Fundamentalism, shed light on the harms of Christian fundamentalism. Andrew believes in the power of survivors’ stories to bring awareness and spark change. His work has been featured in MSN, Yahoo News, and the Religion News Service. Andrew currently resides in Greenville, SC, where he is finishing his memoir.
Our Team
Andrew Pledger
Social Media Manager
Andrew Pledger is a cult survivor, podcaster, writer, and freelance social media manager. Raised in the Independent Fundamental Baptist cult, he discovered his queer identity and was determined to leave the group. He eventually escaped the cult after being expelled from Bob Jones University, an insular fundamentalist college. He graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in General Studies/Psychology, intending to help other survivors.
To understand and recover from his cult upbringing, Andrew immersed himself in cult education. He now uses his experiences and knowledge to raise awareness. His podcasts, Surviving Bob Jones University and Beyond BJU: Exposing Fundamentalism, shed light on the harms of Christian fundamentalism. Andrew believes in the power of survivors’ stories to bring awareness and spark change. His work has been featured in MSN, Yahoo News, and the Religion News Service. Andrew currently resides in Greenville, SC, where he is finishing his memoir.
Keely Griffin
Research Assistant
Keely is a cult survivor turned activist, dedicated to changing the legal landscape around coercive control. In 2021, she found herself trapped in a dangerous cult, which led her to discover Dr. Lalich’s work and the book Take Back Your Life. Since then, Keely has committed herself to understanding coercion, sharing her experiences, and advocating for accountability. Keely earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, double-majoring in Marketing and Sustainability Management. She now plans to attend law school to specialize in criminalizing coercive control and providing legal counsel to survivors.
Nicole Nelson
Workbook Co-Author
Nichole Nelson has authored articles about depression, burnout, anger, and claiming a victorious narrative for a mental health magazine. In 2020, she realized that her personal experiences with some of the issues she wrote about resulted from being in at least one high-control group. Janja’s books and class helped her take back her life, so Nichole is honored to be the coauthor of the Take Back Your Life Workbook! Now a student of mental health counseling, her goal is to reduce stigma for survivors and educate other counselors about cults and high-control groups.
Tara Backes
Administrative Assistant
Owner of Projects Made Simple, LLC, a virtual-assistant firm, Tara directly focuses her team and work solely with small businesses and nonprofits all over the world. Her mission is to provide day-to-day online support in all areas while helping her clients do what they love. With a Master’s in Business Management and Project Management, she has successfully virtually managed more than 300+ clients and led teams for more than 20 years.
Our Team
Andrew Pledger
Social Media Manager
Andrew Pledger is a cult survivor, podcaster, writer, and freelance social media manager. Raised in the Independent Fundamental Baptist cult, he discovered his queer identity and was determined to leave the group. He eventually escaped the cult after being expelled from Bob Jones University, an insular fundamentalist college. He graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a BA in General Studies/Psychology, intending to help other survivors.
To understand and recover from his cult upbringing, Andrew immersed himself in cult education. He now uses his experiences and knowledge to raise awareness. His podcasts, Surviving Bob Jones University and Beyond BJU: Exposing Fundamentalism, shed light on the harms of Christian fundamentalism. Andrew believes in the power of survivors’ stories to bring awareness and spark change. His work has been featured in MSN, Yahoo News, and the Religion News Service. Andrew currently resides in Greenville, SC, where he is finishing his memoir.
Keely Griffin
Research Assistant
Keely is a cult survivor turned activist, dedicated to changing the legal landscape around coercive control. In 2021, she found herself trapped in a dangerous cult, which led her to discover Dr. Lalich’s work and the book Take Back Your Life. Since then, Keely has committed herself to understanding coercion, sharing her experiences, and advocating for accountability. Keely earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, double-majoring in Marketing and Sustainability Management. She now plans to attend law school to specialize in criminalizing coercive control and providing legal counsel to survivors.
Nicole Nelson
Workbook Co-Author
Nichole Nelson has authored articles about depression, burnout, anger, and claiming a victorious narrative for a mental health magazine. In 2020, she realized that her personal experiences with some of the issues she wrote about resulted from being in at least one high-control group. Janja’s books and class helped her take back her life, so Nichole is honored to be the coauthor of the Take Back Your Life Workbook! Now a student of mental health counseling, her goal is to reduce stigma for survivors and educate other counselors about cults and high-control groups.
Tara Backes
Administrative Assistant
Owner of Projects Made Simple, LLC, a virtual-assistant firm, Tara directly focuses her team and work solely with small businesses and nonprofits all over the world. Her mission is to provide day-to-day online support in all areas while helping her clients do what they love. With a Master’s in Business Management and Project Management, she has successfully virtually managed more than 300+ clients and led teams for more than 20 years.
