Elliot Richardson
Co-Founder & President
Elliot Richardson is the Co-Founder and President of the Small Business Advocacy Council, an organization laser-focused on improving the economic environment for small businesses in the State of Illinois. The SBAC strives to empower the small business community by bringing business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs together to speak with a unified, and strong voice.
Elliot Richardson is also a partner at the law firm of Korey Richardson LLP, handling a variety of commercial litigation matters in both federal and state court.
Elliot has been involved in community service since his college days at Bradley University. Presently, Elliot serves on the Board of Directors for Childserv, a large and successful organization focused on helping at-risk children. Elliot is co-chair of the resource development committee of this organization. Elliot is also on the board of Youth Conservation Corp., a dynamic non-profit which provides training in the construction industry to at-risk children.
Elliot formerly served on the Board of Directors for Youth Communications, an organization that empowers children by teaching them crucial writing skills. He also served on the Editorial Board of the Chicago Bar Association and on the executive committee of the Young Lawyers Section of the CBA. Elliot also served on the board of the YMCA Alliance Board.
Elliot received his law degree from the University of Dayton. In law school, he was the member of the Public Interest Law Organization and received the University of Dayton School of Law Pro Bono Publico Service Award. Elliot graduated from Bradley University with a degree in sociology and criminal justice. He obtained a minor in history.
Scott Baskin, Retired President & CEO of Mark Shale
Chief Executive Officer
Scott Baskin retired as President and CEO of Mark Shale in 2011. Mark Shale was Chicago’s largest independent clothing retailer with stores in Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Kansas City, and St. Louis. Prior to his business career, Scott served as Chief Legislative Assistant to the late Congressman Abner Mikva.
In addition to his professional experience, Scott is an engaged community leader. He is a board member of Uptown United, an economic development organization serving Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. He was an elected member of the Northside College Prep High School Local Council and chair of its finance committee, and past treasurer of the Center for Law and Social Work. He is a graduate of Vassar College and Northwestern University School of Law.
Kim Brisky
Director of Communications and Public Affairs
Kim Brisky is the Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Small Business Advocacy Council. A native of Glenview, Illinois, she is proud to help small business leaders from her home state navigate the red tape and political uncertainty in local, state and federal government. With her strong background in public service and issue advocacy, she is dedicated to growing the size and effectiveness of SBAC’s voice.
Prior to joining the SBAC, Kim spent over a decade working on campaigns and as a congressional staffer. During her time on Capitol Hill, she operated daily in a fast-paced environment, making recommendations that reflected the best course forward in light of competing interests. As a manager, she focused on strategic communications planning, ensuring the execution of both short-term and long-term legislative and political goals.
Kim also spent several campaign cycles in leadership roles on some of the most competitive and expensive congressional races in the country. She directed multiple bus announcement tours that included town halls, business visits and earned media opportunities. She also recruited and trained hundreds of staff and volunteers on best practices for voter outreach and coalition building.
Kim received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Iowa and her M.A. in Government from Johns Hopkins University. She is also a member of the Chicago Area Public Affairs Group and the Meals Ministry Coordinator at Grace Presbyterian Church of the North Shore.
Ryan Tolley
Advocacy Director
Ryan started with the Small Business Advocacy Council in September 2014 as a Membership and Outreach Intern, having graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in May 2014 with a degree in Political Science, focusing on America Government. In his previous role as Membership Coordinator, he was fortunate enough to work alongside business owners and understand the issues that are important to them on a local, state and federal level.
In his position as Advocacy Director, he is leveraging his previous knowledge in American Government studies to can help take SBAC initiatives through the legislative process. In addition, his volunteer experience with legislative campaigns also have given him experience with building and executing grassroots efforts to garner support on issues facing the small business community.
Remington Purnell
Project Assistant
Remington Purnell first started with the SBAC July 2018 as a Research & Policy Intern.
She hails from California, and received her B.A. from Seattle University in Humanities for Leadership with a specialization in International Politics. During her undergrad, she presented at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference, was a Costco Scholar, and served as a Teaching Assistant for a Humanities program in France.
Prior to the SBAC, Remi was a Research Associate for Safeguard Marine LLC, a navigational consulting firm. For two years, she collected quantitative and qualitative data for the Port of Anchorage Modernization Project in navigational simulators in Seward, Alaska.
In addition to her interest in policy, she is an illustrator. You can find her work here.
