TIMØ RONAN
TIMØ RONAN is a multi-disciplinary American creative powerhouse and entrepreneur—a true Swiss Army knife of ingenuity, and quite possibly the most cinematic man alive. Born in 1973 as Timothy Ronan in Milwaukee, WI, TIMØ has lived, worked, and explored across the U.S. and the globe, navigating seven languages and too many time zones to count. A graduate of Brown University with a degree in Psychology, focusing on Social Cognition, Risk-Taking, and Developmental Psychology, TIMØ approaches every endeavor with a commitment to excellence, innovation, and efficiency. If he starts something, he kills it—and does so with precision and a drive to make processes faster, better, and more systematic. Whenever possible, more fun.
Once destined for medical school as a biomedical engineer, TIMØ found himself sneaking his creative spirit into every corner of his work. That relentless creative energy eventually became impossible to contain, leading him to pivot and fully embrace a career as a "make-it-happen" creative productivity muscle car.
Self-taught and relentless, TIMØ evolved into an award-winning, highly sought-after, and widely celebrated polymath designer. His diverse skill set spans Creative Direction, Art Direction, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Product Design, Packaging Design, Luxury Fashion and Hospitality Design, Experiential Design, Cinematography, Photography, along with Digital and Web3 Experiences,—pioneering across multiple industries with a passion for blending artistry and innovation. Armed with the heart of an artist and the precision of an engineer, TIMØ didn’t stop at designing; he mastered producing and manufacturing everything he created.
Throughout his career, TIMØ has launched numerous brands and companies, blending vision with execution. Most recently, he added to his legacy by securing a patent for his innovative, design-forward QR code System: The Ronan Code—a testament to his relentless pursuit of creativity, functionality, and elegance.
THE HISTORY OF JINTOTOLO ISLAND
VIDAL BACOLOD | GREAT GRANDFATHER | WHERE HALF MY CRAZY COMES FROM
Long time ago, in Bantayan (it’s an island near Cebu, Philippines) lived my great grand lolo Vidal Bacolod. He was a very industrious guy with many, many dreams. He was happily married to Silveria Figuracion Bacolod.
He was the type’a guy who loved to travel to places he had never seen before, and so he went traveling with no certain direction and surprisingly reached an island. As he roamed around the island, he found it very peaceful, green and well… perfect! That island was… JINTOTOLO ISLAND.
He thought that he should maybe come back to the island with his family and settle there for good. Just when he had thought of that, he saw some Spaniards building a lighthouse on a hill. When they saw him, they immediately came to him and drove him away.
But hey, that’s not the end of the story! My clever lolo went to the city hall in the mainland of Masbate and inquired if he could settle there with his family and asked who the owner of that island was. They told him it didn’t have an owner and he could own it if he would pay the tax of the island. Then he agreed, so they gave him the papers that testify that he already owned the whole Jintotolo Island.
He returned on the island with his whole family. He showed the papers to the Spaniards and became friends with them. Many people from different places also came to the island and asked my lolo if they could also settle there, and my super kind lolo said yes to everyone. They built schools, churches, cemeteries, etc. Then they all worked hard in making the island healthier and healthier. :)
At the age of 120-something, my great grandfather passed away, and so did my great grandmother, but their life story will never ever be forgotten. Everyone on the island still remembers how kind they were to the people. )
Before he passed away, he divided his land to his children including my grandfather HONORIO BACOLOD, who’s the only one left now because all his brothers and sisters already passed away because of old age.
We always go to Jintotolo Island to relax, celebrate special occasions etc.. and the Bacolods in Jintotolo Island are really close to each other.. :)
Honorio Bacolod is now 93 years old and still lives on the island with his ever lovely wife, Genoveva S. Bacolod. They have 13 children and one of them is my mom. My aunts and my uncles are great musicians and teachers.
So that’s the story of how Jintotolo Island was founded by Vidal Bacolod..
(He’s the youngest and he still has the papers that say that Jintotolo Island was founded and owned by Vidal Bacolod).
Video and Transcription by Sue Ellen Bacolod Cubíng, granddaughter of Mr. Honorio Bacolod, and my cousin.
A HANDFUL OF CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Fine Art Collaborations | TIMØ was commissioned to design and fabricate artist editions for renowned artists, including Daniel Arsham, Mariko Mori, Douglas Gordon, and Tristan Eaton, for institutions like Guggenheim New York.
Cannes Lions Win | He won the Grand Prix Cannes Lions for design and production work on the Volkswagen Fast figurine campaign, created for the North American launch of the Volkswagen GTI (2005), in conjunction with, then advertising agency of the decade, Crispin Porter + Bogusky.
Museum Recognition | TIMØ's album jacket for the 1999 Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star vinyl LP is showcased at the National Museum of African American History and Culture / Smithsonian (2017). Additionally, various albums he worked on are featured in the Museum of Graffiti in Miami (2018).
Kickstarter Victory | TIMØ spearheaded a Kickstarter campaign with Flomio, raising $100K in 45 days for NFC adapters that brought near-field tech experiences to iPhones, which at the time were exclusive to Android devices. During his tenure at Flomio, he also designed innovative contactless retail experiences.
United States Patent | TIMØ secured a US patent for The Ronan Code, a groundbreaking, design-forward QR code system that redefines how users engage with digital content by combining aesthetics and functionality, to bridge the digital-physical divide (2024).
Packaging Redesign for Higher Innovations | In 2024, TIMØ completely rebranded Higher Innovations, designing innovative packaging featuring holographic mylar and a clamshell logo-embossed tray for lozenges and chews. He created all marketing materials, including buyer kits, banners, apparel, and more. The brand won the Michigan Cannabis Cup in 2024.
Gold Record | TIMØ earned a RIAA Certified Gold Record (500K US Sales) for his creative direction, marketing, packaging and merchandise design, and physical format production for Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides (1999) album.
Pharoahe Monch’s "Internal Affairs" at Lincoln Center | In Summer 2024, Pharoahe Monch's Internal Affairs was celebrated at Lincoln Center. TIMØ contributed extensively to the project, handling album art, co-writing the treatment for the "Simon Says" music video, and designing and producing all street marketing, advertisements, promo videos, press kits, and more.
Hospitality Innovation | TIMØ designed the award-winning brand experience for The Creek South Beach, which was voted Best Hotel Miami by Miami New Times in 2003. He also produced and co-directed a feature-length rockumentary about The Creek, capturing the chaos of building the project in just three months and launching it at the first Art Basel Miami. The film debuted at the Miami International Film Festival.
Cultural Legacy | The Rawkus Blade logo he designed for indie hip-hop powerhouse, Rawkus Entertainment in the 1990s, was named one of the Best Hip-Hop Logos of All Time by Complex Magazine (2015). His designs for Rawkus merchandise have attained collectible status, with promo hoodies now selling for $800 (2024).