ESSENCE, the leading and only 100% Black-owned media, technology and commerce company at scale dedicated to Black women and communities, today announced updates to its executive leadership team. These appointments are part of the final phases of the restructuring process aimed at positioning the company for continued growth and maximum impact following its acquisition from Time Inc.
To date, this transformation has included, among other focus areas, building critical operational infrastructure across finance, human resources and technology; making significant investments across ESSENCE Magazine, digital, e-commerce and experiential platforms – resulting in the brand almost doubling its reach over three years; expanding platforms for other culturally-rooted entrepreneurs and businesses that create economic opportunities for Black communities; introducing heightened capabilities, technology, products and touch points that super-serve the interests of Black women locally and globally – including the launch of ESSENCE Studios streaming platform; refining organizational culture and accountability; and developing a new strategic framework and targeted partner engagement approach – with more to come. To continue the critical work that they have been leading, Essence Communications, Inc. (ESSENCE) has appointed the following to its C-suite and senior leadership team, effective immediately:
Caroline Wanga, Chief Executive Officer, ESSENCE (& Chief Growth Officer, Essence Ventures)– Wanga, who has served as Interim CEO of ESSENCE for seven months, has been officially appointed as Chief Executive Officer. She joined Essence Ventures, parent company of ESSENCE, as Chief Growth Officer in 2020 from Target Corporation, where Latraviette D. Smith-Wilson, Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer – Smith-Wilson, who also serves as Chief Strategy Officer for Essence Ventures (parent company of ESSENCE), has joined ESSENCE as Chief Strategy & Engagement Officer. In this newly-created role, the following teams will report to her: Business Development/Sales, Marketing, Content, Creative, Experiential, Video, and Stakeholder Engagement (PR, talent, and strategic partnerships). With 20-plus years of global experience building brands through a lens of purpose, social impact and inclusion and a career spanning journalism, marketing & communications, DEI and business strategy, Smith-Wilson has worked and held senior leadership roles across newsrooms, agencies, Fortune 100 companies, and entrepreneurial ecosystems, including Sundial Brands/Unilever, American Express, Edelman, Deloitte and National Urban League. She has been recognized by Black Enterprise – Next Generation Women of Power, Café Mocha – Powerhouse Award/Outstanding Business Leadership, Ebony – Women Up, and Forbes – Black Women Leaders to Follow, among others. Smith-Wilson is a board member and the immediate past Chair of the Board of Harlem United and has previously served on the board of the PRSA Foundation and as the Diversity & inclusion columnist for PRWeek. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and received her double-major bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University and her Master’s Degree from New York University. Avani Patel, Chief Operating Officer – Patel, who previously served as Chief of Staff & Vice President in the Office of the CEO, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In this role,
