Caroline A. Wanga is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ESSENCE, the No. 1 media, technology, and commerce company dedicated to Black women and communities. She also serves as Chief Growth Officer for ESSENCE Ventures, parent company of ESSENCE. Wanga joined Essence Ventures, parent company of ESSENCE, as Chief Growth Officer in 2020 from Target Corporation, where she served as Chief Culture, Diversity, and Inclusion Officer.
She began her Target career in supply chain, serving in a variety of transformational leadership roles, including modernizing Supply Chain, Business Intelligence, Digital and Strategy capabilities. Prior to that, she held several non-profit roles. A self-proclaimed cultural architect with a passion for constructing, deconstructing, and reconstructing organizational culture, she champions authenticity and thrives while she inspires in innovative environments. With a background in corporate and community leadership, her career expands over several disciplines and capabilities including youth development, grant-writing, community organizing, supply chain, human resources, culture, and media.
