Founded July 22, 2026
Protecting Our Waterways for Future Generations
Through boating safety, conservation, education, and technology, BoatLife Foundation is building safer, healthier, and more accessible waterways for everyone.
- Established in New Jersey
- 2026Established in New Jersey
- Focus areas
- 6Focus areas
- Programs in planning
- 10Programs in planning
- Founding trustees
- 3Founding trustees
Our mission
Safer water. Cleaner water. Water open to everyone.
BoatLife Foundation exists to improve the safety, sustainability, and accessibility of our waterways through education, conservation, technology, and community engagement.
BoatLife Foundation advances recreational boating safety, marine conservation, and public education through technology, innovation, and community partnerships.
What we focus on
Six areas where we believe we can make a measurable difference
Recreational boating touches public safety, environmental health, and community access at the same time. These are the places those concerns overlap.
Recreational Boating Safety
Reducing preventable injuries and fatalities on the water through training, equipment access, and better safety information.
Marine Conservation
Protecting the health of waterways, shorelines, and the habitats that depend on them.
Public Education
Making practical waterway knowledge available to boaters, families, and schools at no cost.
Technology & Innovation
Applying modern software and data to problems that have historically been addressed with paper and word of mouth.
Community Engagement
Working through local clubs, marinas, and municipalities rather than around them.
Waterway Accessibility
Opening access to the water for people who have been priced out, aged out, or left out of boating.
Programs
What we are building first
Our founding priorities. Each is in planning or early development, and each is open to partners and sponsors.
Recreational Boating Safety
Safety instruction and refresher training for new and returning boaters, delivered with local partners.
Life Jacket Initiatives
Loaner stations and fitted life jackets for children and families at public access points.
Youth Waterway Education
Classroom and on-the-water learning that builds water competence early.
Marine Conservation
Habitat protection and water quality work in partnership with established conservation groups.
Coastal Cleanup Programs
Organized shoreline and waterway cleanups with measurable, published results.
Technology & Innovation
Open tools that put better safety and conditions information in boaters' hands.
Founding partners
We are building this with our community, starting now
BoatLife Foundation is new. That is exactly why this moment matters: founding partners help decide which programs launch first, in which waterways, and how success gets measured.
Who we are looking for
- Marinas, clubs, and marine businesses
- Schools and youth organizations
- Conservation and watershed groups
- Veteran service organizations
- Corporate and foundation funders
Governance
Our founding board of trustees
A small board, named publicly, accountable for how this organization spends its time and money.
Michael A. Ramos
Founder & President
Michael A. Ramos is a marketing executive, entrepreneur, veteran, and boating enthusiast dedicated to improving the safety, sustainability, and accessibility of our waterways through education, conservation, and technology.
Staci Force
Trustee
Jonathan Cohen
Trustee