In this week’s column, The Wires launches a new recognition program that showcases the top brands in its discovery apps while Bluerock TMS rolls out a new solution that aims to save retailers and brands money by improving the last mile of delivery. And Acertus said it has a new CRO, who is a former UPS executive.
The Wires Unveils “The Wires 100” to Celebrate Top Innovators in Fashion, Beauty, and Pet Industries
The Wires Platforms, the parent company behind fashion, beauty, and pet discovery apps FashWire, GlossWire, and PawWire, has announced the launch of “The Wires 100.” This new annual recognition program aims to spotlight 100 of the most innovative and influential brands exclusively from its platforms. The program culminates in an awards gala in New York City on December 1st.
Related Stories
Submissions for program opens on April 15.
Organizers of the program said Wires 100 will celebrate excellence across various categories, including design, product innovation, sustainability, and cultural impact. The brands will be selected from the FashWire, GlossWire, and PawWire ecosystems, with 33 brands chosen from each vertical. There will also be a “Founder of the Year” recognized for across all three industries.
Kimberly Carney, CEO and founder of The Wires, said the program “reflects the incredible brands within our ecosystem. By focusing exclusively on the brands across FashWire, GlossWire, and PawWire, we are able to highlight and elevate the community we have built and the innovation happening within it.”
Deborah Weinswig, CEO and founder of Coresight Research and an advisory board member and investor in The Wires, said The Wires “has built a unique platform for discovering and supporting emerging brands across multiple consumer categories. The Wires 100 is a natural extension of that vision, recognizing the brands driving meaningful innovation and shaping the future of retail.”
Amanza Smith, artist, designer, and also an advisory board member, said the program “is about identifying the brands that are shaping culture in real time. It’s not just about what’s trending, it’s about the creators and founders who are pushing boundaries and redefining what’s next.”
Judging for the program will be done by a panel of investors, industry leaders, media, and celebrity figures from The Wires community. Brands chosen for The Wires 100 will receive editorial features across The Wires’ platforms, social media amplification, and an official “Wires 100” designation to incorporate into their marketing and investor materials.
Acertus Names Jami Kilpatrick as CRO
Acertus, largest automotive logistics-as-a-service platform in the U.S., named Jami Kilpatrick as chief revenue officer (CRO), effective immediately. The company said in this role, Kilpatrick “will lead all revenue-generating functions across the business—aligning sales, business development and marketing into a cohesive, high-performing engine driving growth and delivering a more unified customer experience.”
Previously, Kilpatrick held senior leadership roles at UPS, including serving as vice president of corporate strategy and U.S. sales chief of staff.
“As CRO, [Kilpatrick] will focus on deepening Acertus’ customer relationships and ensuring our commercial execution is built to scale for the long term,” said Michael DeLuca, CEO of Acertus. “[Kilpatrick] brings the clarity, accountability and execution focus needed to align our teams, elevate the customer experience and fully capitalize on the growth in front of us.”
In a statement, the company said Kilpatrick has nearly three decades of experience leading sales, strategy and go-to-market transformation. “She brings a strong focus on accountability, cross-functional alignment and execution—ensuring commercial strategy translates into a seamless customer experience and sustainable growth,” the company said.
Bluerock TMS Launches New Last Mile Solution to Eliminate the “Execution Black Box”
We usually save news like this for our Tech Tuesday column, but this one caught our eye due to the implications for business. Bluerock TMS announced the general market release of its “Last Mile Distribution” solution, which is a cloud-native platform designed to manage the entire delivery lifecycle within a single environment.
The company said in a statement that after a successful pilot phase, the platform is now available to the broader market, promising to bridge the gap between initial route planning and final delivery execution. It’s a win with retailers, brands and consumers.
The logistics industry has long struggled with an “execution black box,” which is the period after a vehicle leaves the warehouse where visibility often vanishes. According to Bluerock, this lack of oversight results in failed deliveries costing operators between $10 to $15 each and accounts for up to 70 percent of inbound customer support inquiries.
“Most platforms stop at route generation. The moment freight moves, visibility is gone,” said Rico van Leuken, CEO of Bluerock TMS. “Ours monitors and adjusts operations across planning, depot, field execution, and customer visibility as conditions change.”
The platform uses an AI-driven planning agent and a mobile dispatching suite to ensure loading compliance and real-time trip monitoring. Early adopters have already reported significant results, including a first-time delivery success rate of up to 98 percent and an 18 percent reduction in total transport costs.
The launch of Bluerock’s Last Mile solution signals a shift in how brands and retailers must approach the “final mile” to remain competitive. The key implications include protecting brand equity while reducing costs.
For high-value retailers, the delivery driver is often the only physical touchpoint a customer has with the brand. By moving away from the black box of unmanaged execution, brands can ensure that complex deliveries—such as white-glove installations—are executed precisely as promised. Improved visibility reduces the “where is my order?” anxiety that can tarnish a premium brand image.
With McKinsey & Co. estimating that inefficient handoffs cost the U.S. logistics industry $95 billion annually, the financial stakes are high. Retailers using this technology can convert failed delivery costs into profit. An 18 percent reduction in transport costs allows retailers to either improve their margins or offer more competitive shipping rates to consumers.
