Beyond the Title: 12 Questions with Bibiana Gonzalez

Bibiana Gonzalez

Small Business Consultant (Contractor), WEDC

Mercedes Bibiana Gonzalez is a dedicated community advocate, bilingual Small Business Consultant, and passionate volunteer in Green County, Wisconsin. As co-founder of Fuerza Hispana of Green County, she has spent years empowering Hispanic entrepreneurs, supporting families, and expanding access to education and economic opportunities. Her commitment to community development has also led her to work as a subcontractor supporting the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Through her professional work, volunteer service, and involvement on local boards, she continues building meaningful partnerships that promote inclusion, leadership, and economic growth, believing that stronger communities are built through collaboration and opportunity.

01Built to Last starts with a strong foundation. What is the foundation your leadership is built on, and how do you return to it when things get shaky?

I find it in the passion I feel for my work: connecting people with diverse resources in our own language, and showing them their own capabilities with genuine human warmth. I want to offer them something more than just “help.” I want every person to believe in their own potential.

02Where do you come from, and how do your roots keep you steady when leadership gets hard?

As a survivor of domestic violence and a mother of four, life has taught me to be resilient, to solve problems, and to have the courage to create opportunities when they are not readily available. I have learned that while my circumstances may shape my path, they do not have to define my future.

But leadership is not only about personal success. It's about using what I have learned to help others recognize their own potential. Coming from a community where opportunities are not always equally accessible, I understand the importance of open doors, building connections, and encouraging others to believe that they belong in spaces they may have never imagined entering.

I do not lead because I have all the answers; I do so because I understand what it means to face barriers, find a way forward, and ensure that others know they, too, can succeed.

03What's a piece of advice that has stood the test of time for you, the kind you still come back to years later?

Build relationships before you need them.

04What's a book, quote, lyric, or scripture that has stayed with you and shaped how you lead or live?

Pulling Together: A Handbook for Community Change, by Tom Mosgaller and Mike Breininger.

05What's something you've had to rebuild after it broke or fell apart, and what did that teach you about building things that last?

My education.

06What's one question every leader should ask if they want to build something that outlasts them, and why?

What is your purpose?

When you know it, no matter how many times you break, you always find your way back to the heart of your purpose and start over with the same passion and desire you had on day one.

07Who are you actively preparing to carry this work forward, and what are you doing to set them up to succeed without you?

We are all called to be leaders; we simply need to discover it. It all begins when we identify our strengths. Knowing where we excel tells us where to focus our hardest work. Young people must be a priority. In November, we are launching our bilingual WELD leadership program, aimed at entrepreneurial adults and high school seniors.

08When leadership feels heavy, what do you turn to (music, travel, culture, faith) that restores you and keeps you feeling like yourself?

Music and faith.

09When you think about the legacy you want to leave, what do you hope still stands long after you've moved on?

I want to be remembered for having let myself be guided by the passion of love.

10What's a small daily habit or discipline that has compounded into something meaningful over time?

Be kind with myself.

11What's a moment in your life where the music playing in the background ended up meaning more than you expected, a song that showed up right when you needed it, or made an ordinary moment stick with you?

“Creo en Mí” by Natalia Jiménez.

12What's a tradition in your life or family that you hope lasts for generations?

Giving thanks before meals, and for the new generations. I dream that hope and faith are never lost.