Neal R. Voron, author of The Obstacle Course, is a writer, lyricist, and entrepreneur who believes in the power of communications to "make a difference" in people's lives and in society as a whole.

Neal is the president of Voron Communications, Philadelphia, PA, and the co-founder, with Joseph F.M. Pokorny, of RyKy Records (tm). His writings, song lyrics, and creative Internet communications ventures are all part of Voron's efforts to share the benefits of his personal experiences and creative insights with a global audience.

It was Neal’s interest in getting The Obstacle Course published that led to his involvement with the Internet and, subsequently, to his other endeavors.

Over the years, Voron pioneered the development of some web sites that served then-underserved audiences. His former “Night Shift Initiative” web site helped to educate and benefit thousands of shiftworkers, their families, and their employers about coping with the shiftwork lifestyle. His early web site about email autoresponders similarly introduced many individuals and businesses to the responsible use of a valuable Internet communications tool.

Neal’s online publication of the lyrics to We Thought She’d Live Forever, a song he co-wrote with Joseph F.M. Pokorny years before, ultimately led to the launch of RyKy Records after a visitor to his little-publicized web site asked about the availability of the song on CD.

Voron and Pokorny, acquaintances for 15 years, got back in touch with each other, and Voron – amazed at Pokorny’s treasure vault of then-over 700 unreleased original songs – decided to launch and build RyKy Records into a truly special music label that would endeavor to touch people’s hearts and souls.

With RyKy Records, he and Joseph F.M. Pokorny truly are “Making A Difference With Music (tm)”, having already released many inspirational and emotionally touching songs – like Maybe Tomorrow, For Your Dreams, Dream The American Dream, We The People, For The Heroes, Save The Earth, and others – and Wind Dance, an Irish love story, the first of many musicals and cantatas planned.

We Thought She’d Live Forever was one of the songs released on RyKy’s first album, and it ultimately became a climactic song in Pokorny’s Wind Dance Musical. After reading Voron’s self-help/inspirational novel, The Obstacle Course, Pokorny became inspired to create The Obstacle Course Musical.

Since RyKy’s launch, Voron has co-written several more songs with Pokorny: Starting Over, Please Do Not Call Me, Please Do Not Spam Me, and Can The Spam, and he has inspired the creation of many other songs.

Besides The Obstacle Course, Neal has written The Spider’s Dream Web, a mythical story for children and web lovers everywhere about the birth of the Internet’s World Wide Web, and The Musician’s Christmas Dream, a Christmas story about a musician's dream to share his music with the world.

Voron is also the founder of the Motivation Inspiration Month and Resolution Kick-Off Day celebrations held in January, and is the developer of AffiliateMarketingPower.com, LyricSongbooks.com, and other web sites.

He earned a bachelor of arts degree in Journalism and Communications in 1983 from Point Park University. He is a 1979 graduate of Central High School, Philadelphia, PA (238th class).

Neal and his wife, Barbarann, a psychotherapist in private practice, reside in Philadelphia with their two children, Ryan and Kyle.

Readers are welcome to send comments to Voron at: nvoron@TheObstacleCourse.com