After finishing school at the University of Cincinnati, Ronnell joined the prestigious luxury chain, The Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts, as Director of Operations. He moved to California in the mid-90s, and in 2013, with a lifelong love of films, Ronnell co-produced a short film starring Stacey Dash and Coier Amerson, Blue Butterflies. In 2016, Ronnell produced an off-Broadway play, Unspeakable, a dramatic fantasia based on the life of comedian Richard Pryor.

He soon broke into movies, and in 2017, was an Executive Producer on the widely anticipated movie Churchill, starring Brian Cox and Miranda Richardson. Ronnell also co-produced the feature film, Walkaway Joe in 2020, starring Academy Award Nominee David Strathairn. Ronnell’s second feature with Milillo, Oscar’s Options, is moving toward a fall 2024 start. He resides in Seattle, WA with his teenage son Tysen.