HALO (PPAI 106462, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 3 distributor, has announced three appointments to its board of directors and executive leadership team.

Melanie Whelan, who currently serves as an advisory partner at Summit Partners and sits on the boards of FIGS, PostPilot and RISE Youth Sports Platform, has joined HALO’s board. Previously, she served as CEO of SoulCycle.

Dan Shedivy has joined as CFO. Most recently, he served as CFO of Medical Solutions, where he led finance, accounting and corporate development for a healthcare services company with more than $3 billion in revenue. Earlier in his career, he held leadership positions at William Blair, J.P. Morgan and McKinsey & Company.

Christine Fong has joined as executive vice president and general manager of merchandising and marketing. She most recently served as GM at Mars Science & Diagnostics and previously led the gifts and home business at Shutterfly.

“We’re building the leadership team and governance to match the opportunity ahead of us,” says HALO CEO Jim Hilt. “Brands today are looking for partners who can help bring their stories to life across every physical touchpoint. Melanie, Dan and Christine each bring a unique combination of leadership, operational excellence and brand expertise that will strengthen our ability to serve clients, empower our team members and accelerate HALO’s next chapter.”

Galaxy – More Than Balloons (PPAI 113835, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 64 supplier, has announced that Devin Martin has been hired as national sales manager.

A 25-plus year veteran of the branded merchandise industry, Martin has experience on both the supplier and distributor side. Her start date is August 10.

“We’re excited to welcome Devin into this important leadership role,” says Les Dorfman, CAS, president of Galaxy. “Her experience and dedication make Devin an outstanding addition to our management team, and we look forward to the positive impact she will have on our sales representatives, customers and the company as a whole.”

Gemline (PPAI 113948, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 9 supplier, has announced a new partnership with LifeStraw, a brand known for its water filtration products and mission to expand access to safe drinking water worldwide.

Launching as part of Gemline’s Fall 2026 collection, the partnership introduces a curated assortment of LifeStraw hydration and reusable drinkware solutions to the branded merchandise industry.

• LifeStraw is a Certified B Corporation and Climate Label Certified brand that helps provide safe drinking water to communities and schoolchildren in need around the world.

“LifeStraw is an exceptional addition to our growing portfolio of brands centered around innovation and positive impact,” says Saadia Bryant, vice president of product, marketing and design. “Its leadership in water filtration and focus on cleaner, safer hydration solutions align naturally with Gemline’s betterway values and our ongoing efforts to bring more responsible products to the market.”

BamBams (PPAI 255565, Gold), PPAI 100’s No. 92 supplier, has announced the launch of The SHOEZIE Collection.

• Crafted in Texas from premium double insulated foam, SHOEZIE Beverage Insulators are available in low-top and high-top styles to fit 12 oz. cans, slim cans and most bottles, the company says.
• The collection also features SHOEZIE SMART, an optional NFC chip embedded in the sole that connects users to websites, videos, social media, promotions, event information, donations, registrations and more.

“We’re not changing what a beverage insulator does – we’re changing how people experience it,” says Dan Taylor, CEO of BamBams. “By combining creative design, premium functionality and optional smart technology, The SHOEZIE Collection transforms an everyday beverage insulator into a product people will use, keep and remember.”

Koozie Group (PPAI 114187, Platinum), PPAI 100’s No. 4 supplier, has announced the addition of metal pens provider U Brands to its portfolio of retail brand partnerships.

Koozie Group will offer four U Brands pen styles, including a felt-tip option. Each writing instrument is crafted from premium metal and is presented in a velour sleeve, with an optional two-pen gift box available for an additional charge.

“At Koozie Group, we’ve built a portfolio of brands that our customers know, trust and ask for by name, and U Brands fits right in,” says Jonaleah Carrow Sherman, category manager. “Metal pens have been gaining momentum, and our customers have been looking for an option that delivers that premium, executive feel. U Brands does exactly that, and its retail recognition makes it an easy conversation starter for any distributor. We’re excited to add these pens to our lineup.”

commonsku (PPAI 552077) has announced Fall CSU Live, a free virtual education event for commonsku distributor customers, taking place September 10 from 1-3 p.m. ET.

The program includes a year-in-review platform recap, a roadmap preview covering AI, automation and platform connectivity, and breakout sessions on practical AI use cases, time-saving automation workflows and the commonsku partner ecosystem.

“Fall CSU is an express train through the year that was and the year ahead – everything we shipped in 2026, plus what’s coming down the tracks in AI, automation and integrations, hosted by the people who built it. It’s the kind of event where distributors leave saying, ‘This is exactly what we needed,’” says Aaron Kucherawy, vice president of customer success at commonsku.

Registration is open now at https://commonsku.com/csu-live.