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A kid can live three to five miles from the beach and still never see the ocean. That fact hits hard, and it is where Maurice “Maui” Goodbeer starts. Maui is the founder and executive director of Street Waves, a South Florida nonprofit that has spent years teaching inner-city kids how to swim, surf, and build real skills on boats. His drive is personal: after his younger brother was murdered, he promised at the funeral he would do something direct for kids who are growing up around violence and limited options.

We get into what Street Waves actually does on the ground: small-group swim instruction for safety, surf training that builds confidence fast, and hands-on maritime career exposure at the marina. Once kids can swim, “salty jobs” become possible, from lifeguarding and ocean rescue to marine trades like fiberglass work, engines, and boat electrical. Maui shares the moments that stay with him, like teens crying when they see the ocean for the first time, plus breakthrough stories including a former non-swimmer becoming ocean rescue and a student going on to become a Navy SEAL.

The conversation takes a sharp, useful turn into nonprofit strategy for creators, coaches, and builders. Maui explains why mission-first work can widen access for people who cannot afford services, how donations and grants can fund that gap, and why he believes the world needs more nonprofits to fill what for-profits and government miss. We also talk volunteering, drowning prevention realities, and the community healing power of time on the water.

If you care about youth swimming programs, drowning prevention, surf therapy, maritime careers, or building a nonprofit organization with real impact, hit play. Subscribe, share this with someone who loves the ocean, and leave a review so more people can find the story.

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