Honouring Gerry Pond: InnovateNB Hall of Fame Renamed in His Memory

When the InnovateNB Hall of Fame award was launched in 2022, there was only one person meant to receive its inaugural honour — and that was Gerry Pond. He was the inspiration behind it.

Now, in the wake of his passing, InnovateNB is honouring his legacy in a lasting way. The InnovateNB Hall of Fame award will be renamed the Gerry Pond Innovation Hall of Fame Award, a name that reflects both the man and where he dedicated his career — innovation, growing companies, developing people and New Brunswick.

Gerry spent his professional life shaping Canada's information and communications technology sector. He served as CEO of NBTel and later president of its successor, Aliant Telecom, leading the company through a period of major deregulation and growth.

After leaving telecom, he became one of Atlantic Canada's most influential tech investors and entrepreneurs, co-founding Mariner Partners and the angel investor group East Valley Ventures, as well as helping launch companies like iMagicTV, Radian6, Q1 Labs, and more.

He also co-founded Propel ICT and the Pond-Deshpande Centre at the University of New Brunswick, two organizations that have shaped a generation of regional entrepreneurs. His contributions earned him the Order of Canada and the Order of New Brunswick, along with a long list of national and regional honours.

But the numbers and titles only tell part of the story. Those who knew Gerry describe someone who measured his own success by the people he helped build up. He had a gift for spotting potential in founders before they saw it in themselves, and he stayed close to the people he mentored for decades.

He was at the InnovateNB event this past November when Marcel Lebrun was honoured, and was greeted with a standing ovation from a room full of the entrepreneurs, mentors, and community builders he had spent his career supporting.

Those close to him say the Hall of Fame award held a particularly special meaning for him. He once described it as the honour he was most proud of, precisely because it was tied to innovation and to the province he called home.

“Gerry didn't just build companies, he built an entire innovation community.”

— Cathy Simpson, CEO of TechImpact

“Renaming this award in his honour is our way of ensuring his belief in this region and its entrepreneurs is never forgotten.”

“Gerry never stopped believing that world-class companies could be built right here in Atlantic Canada, and he spent his life proving it. Every entrepreneur he supported and every company he helped launch was part of the same project: building a stronger, innovation-driven economy for our region, one founder at a time.”

— Marc Savoie, Co-Executive Director of East Valley Ventures

“That commitment is his lasting gift to all of us at East Valley Ventures. We are honoured to carry it forward.”

Going forward, the Gerry Pond Innovation Hall of Fame Award will continue to recognize individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to Atlantic Canada's technology and innovation ecosystem, in the same spirit that defined Gerry's own career.

It is a fitting way to carry his name, and his belief in what this region can build, into its next chapter.

TechImpact has also created a living wall in Gerry's memory, a tribute page filled with stories, memories, and reflections from the community he helped build. Visit the living wall here.

Tickets for the 2026 InnovateNB Awards are now on sale. Get your tickets here and join us in celebrating the innovators carrying Gerry's legacy forward.