Awards & recognition # Recognized for building, and for what he teaches. Alex Melen has been recognized as an entrepreneur since he was a teenager running T35 Hosting. SmartSites, the agency he co-founded with his brother Michael in 2011, has made the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies ten years in a row (2017–2026). [Book Alex to speak](https://www.alexmelen.com/contact/) Alex Melen ## Personal awards - 2026 Trailblazer of the Year Finalist Microsoft Advertising Partner Awards (North America) Individual award; winners announced in New York on October 29, 2026. [Source ↗](https://about.ads.microsoft.com/en/blog/post/september-2026/announcing-the-2026-microsoft-advertising-partner-awards-finalists-north-america) - 2025 Top 100 Marketing Influencers, No. 82 Technology for Marketing (London) The UK marketing-technology show's ranked list of the most influential voices in marketing for 2025. [Source ↗](https://www.technologyformarketing.co.uk/news/top-100-marketing-influencers-2025-ranked-list) - 2023 40 Under 40: Industry Auto Remarketing Recognizes people shaping the used-vehicle business. [Source ↗](https://www.autoremarketing.com/ar/meet-the-40-under-40-industry-honorees-for-2023) - 2013 Empact100, No. 4 Empact Empact's list of the top entrepreneurs aged 35 and under; recognized through Melen LLC, SmartSites' parent company. [Source ↗](https://smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-announces-empact-100-showcase-nomination) - 2012 Invited to the White House Recognition The White House Met with the Obama administration on young entrepreneurship. [Source →](https://www.alexmelen.com/National_Entrepreneurs%27_Day-White-House.pdf) - 2006 Top 25 Entrepreneurs Under 25 BusinessWeek Named for building T35 Hosting. [Source →](https://www.alexmelen.com/top-25-entrepreneurs-under-25-years-old-in-america/) - 2006 Student Business of the Year Babson College - 2001 Top 100 Young Entrepreneurs in America YoungBiz Magazine [Source →](https://www.alexmelen.com/YoungBiz.pdf) SmartSites ## Inc. 5000, ten years in a row [Inc. profile ↗](https://www.inc.com/profile/smartsites) | Year | Inc. 5000 rank | | | 2026 | No. 4,010 | 10th consecutive year · 60% three-year growth | | 2025 | No. 3,418 | | | 2024 | No. 2,688 | 188% three-year growth | | 2023 | No. 2,920 | | | 2022 | No. 2,841 | | | 2021 | No. 2,364 | | | 2020 | No. 2,171 | | | 2019 | No. 2,855 | | | 2018 | No. 3,450 | | | 2017 | No. 3,860 | first year on the list | SmartSites ## Company recognition - 2026 Rising Partner of the Year and Search Performance Partner of the Year (with Phrasly) Finalist Microsoft Advertising Partner Awards (North America) [Source ↗](https://about.ads.microsoft.com/en/blog/post/september-2026/announcing-the-2026-microsoft-advertising-partner-awards-finalists-north-america) - 2026 Best Places to Work in New Jersey, No. 27 (medium-sized companies) NJBIZ [Source ↗](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-named-one-of-njbizs-2026-best-places-to-work-in-new-jersey/) - 2021–2026 Inc. Regionals: Northeast Inc. No. 108 (2026), No. 79 (2025), No. 134 (2024), No. 98 (2021). [Source ↗](https://www.inc.com/profile/smartsites) - 2024 Power Partner Award Inc. [Source ↗](https://www.inc.com/profile/smartsites) - 2020–2024 Fastest Growing Agencies Adweek No. 43 (2024), No. 71 (2023), No. 61 (2022); also named in 2020. [Source ↗](https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/234256/SmartSites-Earns-Spot-on-Adweeks-2024-Fastest-Growing-Agencies-List) - 2024 Channel Partner of the Year (Americas) Finalist Microsoft Advertising Partner Awards [Source ↗](https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/232294/SmartSites-Named-Finalist-for-Microsoft-Advertising-Channel-Partner-of-the-Year-Award) - 2024 Google Premier Partner, 10 years in a row Google Top 3% of participating agencies. [Source ↗](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-has-been-named-a-google-premier-partner-for-10-years-in-a-row/) - 2018–2024 Top 250 Privately Held Companies in New Jersey NJBIZ No. 105 (2024), No. 147 (2022), No. 161 (2021), No. 187 (2020); also listed in 2018. [Source ↗](https://www.smartsites.com/blog/smartsites-rises-to-no-105-on-njbizs-2024-top-250-privately-held-companies-list/) - 2023 Top Workplaces Energage [Source ↗](https://www.einpresswire.com/article/647657041/smartsites-receives-prestigious-top-workplaces-2023-award) - 2018 Top internet marketing and social media agencies in New York City Clutch [Source →](https://www.alexmelen.com/smartsites-was-rated-for-top-internet-marketing/) T35 Hosting ## Before SmartSites - 2007 Top 101 Best Freebies Bloomberg BusinessWeek T35 Hosting, the free web host Alex founded in 1997, which grew to over a million users. [Source →](https://www.alexmelen.com/top-101-best-freebies-t35-hosting/) Updated Oct 11, 2026. Press coverage of these and other milestones is on the [press page](https://www.alexmelen.com/press/). ## Bring Alex to your next event. Keynotes, breakouts, and workshops on AI search, digital marketing, and scaling a business. Tell him about your audience and he will come back with a talk built for the room. [Check availability](https://www.alexmelen.com/contact/) [Speaker kit](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#kit) --- Source: https://www.alexmelen.com/awards/ · Markdown version of this page for AI agents and LLMs. Site guide: https://www.alexmelen.com/llms.txt