Elliott Advocacy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit consumer advocacy organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can’t.
We do it through direct consumer advocacy, journalism, and by maintaining the largest database of executive contact information on the Internet for consumers.
Here’s a little more information about our mission and our causes. Elliott Advocacy has received a “Top-Rated nonprofit” award from Great Nonprofits every year since becoming a nonprofit. You can read all of our 5-star reviews here on Great Nonprofits.
Our consumer advocacy team:
Christopher Elliott, founder and chief advocacy officer
Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy. He’s the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes weekly columns for King Features Syndicate, USA Today, Forbes and the Washington Post. He also publishes Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can’t solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. Christopher contributes to a variety of media organizations, including National Geographic, NPR, Smithsonian, and Travel & Leisure. He’s a regular guest on a variety of national news programs, including ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, and the Today Show. You can also follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can reach Christopher here.
Read Christopher’s articles here.
Michelle Couch-Friedman, executive director
Michelle Couch-Friedman has served as the executive director of Elliott Advocacy since its inception. She is a dedicated consumer advocate, mediator, author, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialist, content strategist, and licensed psychotherapist. Michelle is a public speaker and her expert guidance has been cited in Consumer Reports, Travel & Leisure, CNN, CNBC, Popular Science, Travel Weekly, and Reader’s Digest, among others. She also makes regular television appearances covering a wide-range of consumer topics. Michelle spends as much time as possible fiercely defending consumers and exploring the world with her family. You can follow her on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. You can reach Michelle here.
Read Michelle’s articles here.
Dwayne Coward, consumer advocate and manager at large
Dwayne Coward is a skilled consumer advocate serving as the third member of our direct advocacy team since 2016. He is a native Texan currently based in the St. Louis Metro East. He has worked for the U.S. Air Force for 35 years having been assigned to Florida, Greenland, Texas, Montana and Germany. When he is not here helping consumers, he is working on his latest scroll saw project.
John Galbraith, managing director
John Galbraith is our managing director. He helps with the day-to-day operations at Elliott Advocacy. He is a UK-based lawyer who loves to help consumers. He is an intrepid traveler and can be frequently found in remote locations in a suit and cravat.
Andy Smith, chief copy editor
Andy Smith is a retired systems analyst, financial analyst, and editor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Soviet Area Studies, a master’s in Slavic linguistics, and an M.B.A. in finance. He has long been a student of languages, which comes in handy in his current job as a ski instructor at Whitetail, in Pennsylvania, where he can provide instruction in Russian, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Croatian and Brazilian Portuguese.
Teri Bergin, newsletters
Teri Bergin is the director of the newsletter department. She is a physician assistant with an oncology and hematology practice in Central Florida.
Mark Pokedoff, copy editor
Mark Pokedoff is an Emmy-award-winning television production specialist. He travels extensively for his work with CBS Sports, NBC Sports, and other networks.
Sam Kent, website designer and developer
Sam is our website designer, developer, and IT super guru. He has over 13 years of experience working with a number of award-winning design agencies and brands to deliver some very exciting projects. Check out Sam’s portfolio via Codeable.
If you’re having trouble with a business — any business — and you’ve reached a dead end, we’ll try to help. Send our consumer advocacy team a request and we’ll investigate. Please read our frequently asked questions before getting in touch.
Volunteers
Elliott would not be possible without help from a staff of volunteers, who donate their time to help advocate for consumers. If you’re interested in making the world a better place, please fill out this form. We’d love to have you on board.
