About CBW

WHO WE ARE

At Connected By Water®, we celebrate the spirit of freedom, tradition, and unity found in America’s great outdoors. Our mission is to create a lifestyle brand that brings together art, sport, and adventure — from fishing, surfing, boating and beyond. We’re rooted in traditional values and the belief that water connects us all through a shared culture of Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, and Streams™. Our hope is to inspire people to live with purpose, passion, and respect for our aquatic natural resources.

By weaving together culture, creativity, and conservation, we aim to illustrate how these timeless activities not only protect and preserve our fisheries and waterways but also strengthen the American way of life. In a sometimes-divided world, we believe the outdoors offers refuge, respect, common ground, and strength — a reminder that We Are All Connected By Water®.

OUR STORY

A Passion for Art and Water

Our company’s story began through a shared passion and a belief that something deep and meaningful could be built around living life that is Connected By Water®

Husband-and-wife team Dennis and Liz Friel had long lived at the intersection of art, ocean, and adventure. Dennis, a life-long marine artist, waterman and designer - deeply inspired by the sea - spent years capturing the spirit of sportfishing, surfing, and marine culture through his work. Liz, equally passionate about creativity and the outdoors, shared the vision of building something larger and more significant than art alone.

So in 2019, they ‘connected’ with their great friend; successful business and branding expert Harris Katz, whose entrepreneurial insight and experience helped bring structure and scale to their ideas. With a like-minded vision, what began as conversations about culture, creativity, and the outdoors quickly grew into a shared mission. Together, the three friends formed Connected By Water®, a lifestyle brand built around their collective love for Oceans, Rivers, Lakes and Streams™ and every bit of art and adventure that goes with it.

Not Just Another Brand

Inspired by their South Florida roots, CBW was born from a belief that respect and love for the water has created a powerful culture — one that naturally brings people together. Whether its standing in Key West watching a Mallory Square sunset, paddling through a Colorado canyon, dropping into a head-high wave in Costa Rica, or catching the billfish of a lifetime with your best pal, these experiences share something deeper. They create primal bonds between people, families, and communities. They foster respect for nature and an appreciation for the traditions that come with celebrating a life outdoors.

The trio recognized that this culture already existed all around them, especially throughout Florida’s flourishing coastal and freshwater environments. They simply wanted to celebrate it — and help strengthen it.

At its core, Connected By Water® exists to honor the spirit of freedom, tradition, and unity found in America’s great outdoors. Through art, storytelling, design, and creating outdoor lifestyle products, the company reflects the energy of days spent chasing fish, riding waves and exploring coastlines.

A Vision Beyond Lifestyle

From the start, Dennis, Liz, and Harris believed the company should also serve a larger purpose: giving back to the communities and environments that inspire it. Through outreach rooted in art and outdoor culture, Connected By Water® seeks to inspire people, especially younger generations, to appreciate and protect the natural resources that make these experiences possible.

The company actively supports conservation and environmental initiatives focused on protecting fisheries and coastlines throughout Florida and beyond. Because the truth is simple: the lifestyle we celebrate cannot exist without healthy waters and thriving ecosystems.

Preserving Tradition

By weaving together creativity, culture, and conservation, Connected By Water® aims to illustrate how these timeless outdoor traditions not only protect and preserve our waterways, but also strengthen something bigger — the communities and values that surround them.

In a world that can often feel divided, the American outdoors has a way of reminding us of what we share. Out on the water, backgrounds fade and common ground emerges. Respect, adventure, tradition, and stewardship take center stage.

That belief sits at the heart of everything Connected By Water® creates.

Because in the end, it’s more than a brand. It’s a celebration of a culture built around exploration, respect for nature, and the understanding that the waters of the world link us all together.

No matter where we are, no matter what we’re doing

We Are All Connected By Water®.

Our Team

Meet The CBW Family

Artists. Podcasters. Anglers. Storytellers. Filmmakers. Surfers. Dreamers. The Connected By Water® Team is loaded with talented and inspiring people that truly live their lives linked to a culture and an ethos that makes CBW more than just a brand.It’s a belief. It’s an art. It’s a sport. It’s a family. It’s a movement.