# Raymond F. Melissa

> Raymond F. Melissa, publicly known as Ray Melissa, is the founder, president and CEO of Melissa. An electrical engineering graduate of California State University, Long Beach, he helped launch printer businesses before founding Melissa in 1985 to sell ZIP Code databases. The company subsequently expanded into global address, email, phone and identity verification and reported serving more than 10,000 businesses at its 40th anniversary in 2025.

- **Role:** Founder, President and CEO at Melissa
- **Organizations:** Melissa, Eikon, Inc., Printronix Inc., Trilog, Inc.
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, California State University, Long Beach
- **Known for:** Founded Melissa in 1985 and continued leading it through its 40th anniversary in 2025., Helped establish Printronix and Trilog during the 1970s., Led a company that reported serving over 10,000 businesses worldwide in 2025.

## Career timeline

- **1968** — Graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a BS in electrical engineering.
- **1970s** — Co-founded technology firms including Eikon, Inc.
- **1974** — Helped launch printer manufacturer Printronix Inc.
- **1978** — Co-established Trilog, Inc., a developer of color printers.
- **1985** — Founded Melissa; its first product was ZIP*Data, with ZIP Code databases distributed on floppy disks.
- **1999** — Melissa moved its headquarters to Rancho Santa Margarita, California.
- **2024** — Ray and John Melissa accepted recognition for the company in Rancho Santa Margarita’s Business Recognition Program.
- **2025** — Attended Melissa’s first CES exhibition as the company entered its 40th anniversary year.
- **2026** — Met student visitors at Melissa headquarters on May 8 following their datathon participation.

## Achievements

- Founded Melissa in 1985 and continued leading it through its 40th anniversary in 2025.
- Helped establish Printronix and Trilog during the 1970s.
- Led a company that reported serving over 10,000 businesses worldwide in 2025.
- Made a gift to CSULB’s College of Engineering Dean’s Excellence Fund to support curriculum development and research in data science, computer science and computer engineering.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Met students during a May 8 headquarters visit organized by Melissa Education after datathons; the company published its account on May 21.
- **2025-04** — Melissa announced its 40th anniversary on April 8, reporting more than 10,000 business customers worldwide.
- **2025-01** — Joined colleagues at Melissa’s first CES exhibition, held January 7-10.

## Links

- Website: https://www.melissa.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-melissa-4377631

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/ray-melissa
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22