 | The Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce is proud to welcome Advocating Opportunity (AO) as a new member. Founded locally in June 2014 and led by Megan Mattimoe, AO provides trauma-responsive, holistic legal and advocacy services for trafficked and exploited persons. With a team of 23 employees, the organization has grown into a nationally recognized leader in human trafficking intervention, victim support, and systemic advocacy. In this spotlight, we get to know more about Advocating Opportunity, their mission, and the vision behind their work. |
Q&A With Advocating Opportunity
Tell us a little about your organization. How did Advocating Opportunity get started?
AO began providing comprehensive legal and social support services to survivors of human trafficking in Toledo in 2014. Over the years, the organization has earned recognition as a leader in victim reintegration, trauma-responsive casework, and advocacy. In 2015, AO developed the Resilience Model, a trauma-informed care framework created in collaboration with certified trauma specialists from Finding Hope Consulting, Inc.
Since then, AO has worked with courts, law enforcement, legislators, and national partners on specialized human trafficking procedures, legislation, and multi-state collaborative projects. The organization expanded beyond Toledo in 2016 with an office in Columbus and again in 2020 with the addition of its Nashville, Tennessee location.
What does your company do?
Advocating Opportunity provides holistic legal services and advocacy for trafficked and exploited persons using a legal and human-rights–based framework. Their team supports clients with legal representation and a wide range of wraparound services that address housing, medical needs, safety planning, transportation, childcare, and other essential supports.
Tell us a little about your organization. How did Advocating Opportunity get started?
AO began providing comprehensive legal and social support services to survivors of human trafficking in Toledo in 2014. Over the years, the organization has earned recognition as a leader in victim reintegration, trauma-responsive casework, and advocacy. In 2015, AO developed the Resilience Model, a trauma-informed care framework created in collaboration with certified trauma specialists from Finding Hope Consulting, Inc.
Since then, AO has worked with courts, law enforcement, legislators, and national partners on specialized human trafficking procedures, legislation, and multi-state collaborative projects. The organization expanded beyond Toledo in 2016 with an office in Columbus and again in 2020 with the addition of its Nashville, Tennessee location.
What does your company do?
Advocating Opportunity provides holistic legal services and advocacy for trafficked and exploited persons using a legal and human-rights–based framework. Their team supports clients with legal representation and a wide range of wraparound services that address housing, medical needs, safety planning, transportation, childcare, and other essential supports.
Getting to Know You
Tell us about your company culture.
We are a law firm—but not a conventional one. In addition to attorneys, our team includes legal advocates, nurse advocates, and a conflict transformation coordinator with backgrounds in victims’ advocacy, social work, public health, court advocacy, and healthcare.
We approach each client holistically, recognizing the interconnection between legal needs and other vital supports. Combined with our resiliency-based trauma-informed model, this approach reinforces dignity, healing, and empowerment for the survivors we serve.
What motivates you to jump out of bed in the morning?
I’m driven by a deep commitment to justice and by the need to address systemic failures affecting victims of human trafficking. My early experiences as a public defender revealed how profoundly the legal system can fail trafficked individuals. The desire to build safer, more equitable communities—and ensure every survivor is treated with dignity and respect—continues to fuel my work every day.
What business challenges keep you up at night?
Meeting the complex needs of our clients is always front of mind—navigating the limits of the law, finding creative legal strategies, and coordinating holistic services to support each person’s safety and healing.
Another challenge is supporting staff well-being. Our work is emotionally demanding, and sustaining a healthy, communicative, collaborative team is critical.
Finally, maintaining sustainable funding is essential. As the nonprofit funding landscape evolves, we’re focused on building new development opportunities. To learn more about what we do, meet our staff, volunteer or donate to the mission, visit https://www.advocatingopportunity.com/.
When you're not working, where do you enjoy spending time in the Toledo Region?
I love spending time in our parks, exploring downtown, visiting the library, and attending local festivals and community events.
Tell us about your company culture.
We are a law firm—but not a conventional one. In addition to attorneys, our team includes legal advocates, nurse advocates, and a conflict transformation coordinator with backgrounds in victims’ advocacy, social work, public health, court advocacy, and healthcare.
We approach each client holistically, recognizing the interconnection between legal needs and other vital supports. Combined with our resiliency-based trauma-informed model, this approach reinforces dignity, healing, and empowerment for the survivors we serve.
What motivates you to jump out of bed in the morning?
I’m driven by a deep commitment to justice and by the need to address systemic failures affecting victims of human trafficking. My early experiences as a public defender revealed how profoundly the legal system can fail trafficked individuals. The desire to build safer, more equitable communities—and ensure every survivor is treated with dignity and respect—continues to fuel my work every day.
What business challenges keep you up at night?
Meeting the complex needs of our clients is always front of mind—navigating the limits of the law, finding creative legal strategies, and coordinating holistic services to support each person’s safety and healing.
Another challenge is supporting staff well-being. Our work is emotionally demanding, and sustaining a healthy, communicative, collaborative team is critical.
Finally, maintaining sustainable funding is essential. As the nonprofit funding landscape evolves, we’re focused on building new development opportunities. To learn more about what we do, meet our staff, volunteer or donate to the mission, visit https://www.advocatingopportunity.com/.
When you're not working, where do you enjoy spending time in the Toledo Region?
I love spending time in our parks, exploring downtown, visiting the library, and attending local festivals and community events.
The Big Picture
Do you have any advice for new business owners?
Stay anchored in your “why.” Your purpose is your guide through uncertainty, growth, and challenge. Build with integrity, stay true to your values, and lead with compassion.
Invest in your people—they are the heart of your mission. Trust them, support them, and create a culture of dignity and respect.
Be bold, but stay open to being wrong. Listen deeply to your team and the people you serve; the best solutions often emerge from that listening.
What trends or insights are you seeing in your field?
Awareness around labor trafficking is finally expanding. For years, public understanding of human trafficking centered almost exclusively on sex trafficking. But trafficking also occurs in agriculture, domestic work, factories, restaurants, and underground economies—often quietly and invisibly.
We’re encouraged to see more people recognizing these nuances and understanding that trafficking is rooted in vulnerability and inequity. As awareness grows, we hope to see improved identification, policy development, and support for all survivors, not just those whose experiences fit the most visible narratives.
Do you have any advice for new business owners?
Stay anchored in your “why.” Your purpose is your guide through uncertainty, growth, and challenge. Build with integrity, stay true to your values, and lead with compassion.
Invest in your people—they are the heart of your mission. Trust them, support them, and create a culture of dignity and respect.
Be bold, but stay open to being wrong. Listen deeply to your team and the people you serve; the best solutions often emerge from that listening.
What trends or insights are you seeing in your field?
Awareness around labor trafficking is finally expanding. For years, public understanding of human trafficking centered almost exclusively on sex trafficking. But trafficking also occurs in agriculture, domestic work, factories, restaurants, and underground economies—often quietly and invisibly.
We’re encouraged to see more people recognizing these nuances and understanding that trafficking is rooted in vulnerability and inequity. As awareness grows, we hope to see improved identification, policy development, and support for all survivors, not just those whose experiences fit the most visible narratives.
Welcome to the Chamber, Advocating Opportunity. Your work strengthens our region, supports survivors, and helps create a safer, more just community for all.
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