# Michael Melen

> Michael Melen is the co-founder, Co-CEO and COO of SmartSites, the New Jersey digital marketing agency he established with his brother Alex in 2011. A Cornell graduate and founder of Backlink Build, he focuses on agency operations, search marketing and the development of distributed teams.

- **Role:** Co-Founder, Co-CEO and COO at SmartSites
- **Organizations:** SmartSites, Melen LLC, Backlink Build, T35 Hosting
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science, Cornell University
- **Known for:** Co-founded SmartSites in 2011 and continues to lead it with Alex Melen., Graduated from Cornell University in three years., Sold an internet company at 19.

## Career timeline

- **Childhood** — Built websites and launched FunnyCities.com, which earned about $9 per month from advertising.
- **Age 19** — Sold his first internet company; the reviewed biographies do not name the acquisition.
- **Before 2011** — Founded Backlink Build and consulted on digital media campaigns for Disney and Budweiser.
- **2011** — Completed Cornell in three years and co-founded SmartSites with his brother Alex.
- **2017** — SmartSites made its first Inc. 5000 appearance; contemporary company publicity described a team of more than 60 across three continents.
- **2023** — Presented on ChatGPT applications for organic SEO at State of Search.
- **2025** — Discussed distributed hiring and growth opportunities for employees on Work 20XX.
- **2026** — SmartSites celebrated 15 years and its tenth consecutive Inc. 5000 appearance.

## Achievements

- Co-founded SmartSites in 2011 and continues to lead it with Alex Melen.
- Graduated from Cornell University in three years.
- Sold an internet company at 19.
- SmartSites ranked No. 4,010 on the 2026 Inc. 5000, its tenth consecutive appearance.
- Speaker at State of Search, TES Affiliate Conferences and Running Remote.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Presented an agency-scaling session at the UK SEO Summit on August 26.
- **2026-08** — SmartSites announced its tenth consecutive Inc. 5000 appearance, at No. 4,010 with 60% three-year revenue growth.
- **2026-04** — SmartSites celebrated its fifteenth anniversary on April 15.
- **2026-04** — Participated in Running Remote’s panel about the skills and structure of future remote teams.

## Links

- Website: https://www.smartsites.com/meet-the-team/michael-melen/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmelen/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/michael-melen
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-27