Caroline A. Wanga is the President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Essence Ventures—a portfolio of brands that aims to activate a boundary-less and frictionless global Black economic ecosystem. Acknowledged by Fast Company as a “Brands That Matter” 2023 Honoree, Essence Ventures brands include Essence, the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women and communities; Afropunk, the multi-medium platform that uplifts and unleashes Black expression and individuality now and in the future; BeautyCon, the experiential and content focused platform that aims to transcend the aesthetic of attraction and enable an individualized empowered existence and experience on what beauty is; and Essence Studios, a production studio and original content hub focused on authentic Black storytelling, story-making, story-sharing, and story-doing. Wanga is also the co-founder and Chief Visionary of WangaWoman, a corporate strategy and authentic branding agency that strives to create interpersonal power in our networks and interactions.