Gabriela Enriquez is the founder of HRbp Inc., a fractional HR and People Operations firm helping businesses scale with strategy, not stress. With over 20 years of experience across startups, mid-size, and Fortune companies—and more than a decade as a C-Suite Executive—she partners with CEOs to align people and profit through compliant, ROI-driven practices. From U.S. and global staffing to compensation strategy, vendor management, system migrations, and performance improvement, she delivers enterprise-grade HR for growing companies. Her philosophy: HR shouldn’t be an administrative cost; it should drive results, reduce risk, and fuel the bottom line.
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before starting your corporate journey/venture/initiative.
I grew up as an only child in a proud immigrant household, my parents from Nicaragua, both self-made entrepreneurs. From a young age, I was more than just the kid in the room; I was expected to participate. Whether it was greeting customers, handling service issues, or observing how they negotiated, I was immersed in the real, unfiltered world of business. My opinions were welcomed, my ideas considered, and I was treated with the same level of respect as any adult in the room. That environment shaped me profoundly. It taught me responsibility, empathy, and how to read people, skills that can’t be taught in textbooks but have become my foundation in Operations, Business, HR, and leadership. Learning to see things from multiple perspectives didn’t just help me manage people, it helped me connect with them in meaningful, lasting ways.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say YES, go for it!
For me, the motivation wasn’t just an idea, it was a moment of realization. After years of leading HR and operations across startups and large organizations, I kept seeing the same pattern: People Ops was treated like a cost center, not a strategic partner. Meanwhile, growing companies were making million-dollar decisions without the right people strategy or infrastructure in place. I knew that if I combined my experience in HR, operations, and finance, I could build something different, something better.
What made me say “yes, go for it” was knowing I could bridge that gap. I didn’t just want to consult, I wanted to build alongside founders, help them scale the right way, and prove that HR done right is a profit-driver. HRbp Inc. was born from that exact belief: that businesses of any size deserve access to the same strategic, scalable support that enterprise companies have—but tailored, lean, and built for real impact.
And honestly? I had seen too much to stay silent. So I built the solution I wished more companies had.
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
I’d love to change the way the world views working women, especially mothers. We’re often expected to shrink ourselves to fit into outdated systems that were never built with us in mind. I want to see a world where women no longer have to choose between being present for their families and being powerful in business.
I’d love to help build a future where flexibility is not a favor, but a standard. Where women have access to real resources, not just motivation. Where their ideas are funded, their voices are heard, and their leadership is respected without having to prove themselves twice as hard.
To every young woman out there with a dream: know that you don’t have to fit into a mold to succeed. You can build your own blueprint, and there’s room for both ambition and compassion in leadership. I’ve built my business while raising five kids and leading teams across the globe. If I can do it, you can too, and I’m cheering for you all the way.
Women are a growing force in workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women leadership today?
Women leadership today is powerful, but still underestimated. Yes, we’ve cracked glass ceilings and are claiming our space at the top. But what excites me most is that we’re not just occupying positions, we’re redefining what leadership looks like. We’re leading with empathy, resilience, and strategic intelligence. We’re building inclusive cultures, challenging outdated norms, and driving real, measurable business outcomes.
Still, the journey isn’t always equitable. Women continue to navigate bias, juggle invisible labor, and get measured by different standards. But we’re no longer asking for permission, we’re taking up space, lifting others as we rise, and proving that leadership doesn’t have to fit a traditional mold.
That said, I don’t believe the future of leadership is defined by gender, it’s defined by emotional intelligence, courage, and integrity. While I fiercely support women rising in leadership, I also believe in choosing the right person for the role, someone who leads with clarity, compassion, and accountability, regardless of whether they’re male or female.
Too often, women are labeled as overly emotional, when in fact, emotional intelligence is a leadership superpower, and it’s not exclusive to any gender. The leaders we need today, and tomorrow, are those who can listen, adapt, connect, and elevate others. That’s the kind of leadership I advocate for, and the kind I strive to practice every day.
What’s the most important thing you have learned in your personal life and professional journey? What is your personal motto in life?
The most important thing I’ve learned, both in life and in business, is to stop forcing things that aren’t aligned. If it drains your peace, dims your light, or makes you question your worth, it’s not meant for you. I’ve learned to move on without guilt, because not everything, or everyone, is meant to stay.
One quote that speaks to this truth is:
“Sometimes we outgrow people, places, and paths, not from ego, but from evolution.”
Letting go isn’t failure. It’s growth. And nothing is worth sacrificing your inner peace for, not even the illusion of success.
My personal motto? “Build it with heart or not at all.” Alignment, purpose, and peace—that’s my definition of success.
With your grit and determination, you are making a considerable impact, breaking through, and serving as role models for many budding entrepreneurs. What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
To every young woman reading this: you don’t have to wait for permission to lead, to build, or to take up space. You are not too young, too inexperienced, too anything. You are enough, as you are, and you are allowed to take the risk, raise your hand, and make noise for what you believe in.
Leadership doesn’t require perfection, it requires purpose, persistence, and a willingness to grow. You will have moments of doubt, but I promise: you’ll learn more from action than from waiting for the “right” moment.
Surround yourself with people who challenge you, not just cheer for you. Say yes to the scary things. Ask for the room, then build your own table if you have to. And most importantly, don’t water yourself down to fit in—you’re here to stand out.
People need your voice, your ideas, and your leadership. The world is already changing—be part of the reason why.
