Remembering Gerry Pond

Gerry Pond filled this community with energy, optimism, and possibility. He gave his time freely, believed deeply in people, and had a way of encouraging you at exactly the moment you needed it. So many of us carry something he shared, a spark of confidence, a piece of advice that opened a door, or simply the joy of knowing he believed in what we were building long before we understood it ourselves.

We want to celebrate that spirit and keep it alive. That's why TechImpact is creating a living wall, a tribute page that will grow and brighten over time as our members and the tech community share their stories, memories, and reflections of Gerry. It will be a place filled with the same warmth, generosity, and forward momentum he brought to every room he entered.

In the weeks ahead, TechImpact members and anyone who worked with, learned from, or was mentored by Gerry are invited to contribute their reflections. As these tributes come in, we'll keep adding them, creating a joyful, collective celebration of the impact he had on all of us. We want you to leave this page with a smile on your face and energy to keep thinking BIG.

Anne, thank you for sharing your husband with us. Suzanne and Greg, thank you for sharing your father. For so many people, Gerry became a father figure of support and encouragement. We hope that as you read the stories on this page, you'll see the tremendous impact he made on so many. His legacy lives on in the companies he helped build, the entrepreneurs he championed, and the community that continues to grow because of the foundation he laid. His influence is woven into the successes, the friendships, and the sense of possibility that define our tech and innovation community today, and it will continue to inspire us for many years ahead.

Long before Ted Lasso taped a crooked “Believe” sign above a locker room door, there was Gerry Pond, believing in people, believing in New Brunswick, and believing in what we could accomplish together. His belief wasn’t a slogan. It was a force that changed careers, companies, and the trajectory of an entire province. 

When I moved to Saint John in June of 1990, I thought I’d stay at NBTel for two years and then head off to “bigger and better things.” What I didn’t know was that I had walked into one of the most visionary leadership teams anywhere.  A group that saw a future for the company, the province, and for young people like me that I couldn’t yet imagine. Gerry and others believed in us long before we had the confidence to believe in ourselves. And when someone like Gerry believes in you, you don’t leave, you stay and GROW.

I found myself working in customer service, product management, IPTV, the living lab.  Who builds a living room in the middle of a telco network building so that when telecom companies come from all over the world to see what we were doing with technology, they can experience it like a customer would, in a down-to-earth living room.  Gerry does that.  These were things I didn’t even know existed, let alone dreamed I’d be part of. It was empowering in the truest, most exhilarating way. Gerry helped create an environment where young people felt trusted, capable, and part of something remarkable.

That belief carried forward into everything that came next.  It was the founding of Propel, the work at NBIF, the calls from Gerry checking in, asking how things were going, reminding me of the importance of capital for New Brunswick founders. No matter what I worked on after NBTel, there was always this sense of accountability to Gerry. When he asked you to meet, to help, to take on a special project, you didn’t hesitate. You said yes. And it was a privilege every single time.

When we re‑imagined the KIRA Awards into InnovateNB, we knew we needed a new honour — a Hall of Fame Award to celebrate champions of innovation in our province. The partners agreed instantly, and there was only one person who could receive the inaugural award.  There was no debate, no second choice. It was always him.

I’ll never forget telling him he was the first inductee. He was thrilled.  And every September after that, I would visit him to talk through nominees for the next Hall of Fame Award. We’d discuss impact, longevity, leadership, economic contribution and we’d build a list together. If someone didn’t make the shortlist that year, he’d smile and say, “It will just be a matter of time.” He believed in people’s journeys. He believed in their potential. And he believed in New Brunswick’s ability to grow because of them.

His award sits proudly in his living room today and he told me many times how special it was to him. If you look at the winners since 2022, you’ll see threads that lead back to Gerry in profound ways. His influence is woven through every story.

Last year, we were so fortunate that he could join us at the InnovateNB Awards. Seeing him in the audience, being able to speak about him from the stage, and then watching 450 people rise to their feet in a standing ovation was pure magic. He smiled ear to ear, he felt the love in that room, and he heard, again and again, how deeply he shaped this community.  This was the community that he built over his lifetime. 

Sometimes, all you need is someone who believes.  It’s that person in your corner, someone who helps you see the path forward when you can’t see it yourself. Gerry was that person for so many of us. He was believing long before Ted Lasso made it trendy, and we continue to BELIEVE today because he taught us how.

His belief wasn’t just encouragement. It was joy. It was momentum and possibility. And it lives on in every entrepreneur he lifted up, every company he helped build, every young person he inspired, and every one of us who carries a piece of what he gave.

We BELIEVE because Gerry did and because he showed us how.

-Cathy Simpson
CEO, TechImpact

An unbelievable loss and even more an unbelievable man

-Steve Burns, Bulletproof Solutions

Jeff White wrote a beautiful tribute on LinkedIn to Gerry. I read it and realized he'd said nearly everything I feel — so rather than pretend otherwise, I'll simply add my own thread to it. And encourage everyone to read it.

I met Gerry more than thirty years ago, at the very start of my career, when he was leading marketing at NBTel and I was on the other side of the table as a young consultant. He was already doing then what he would do for the next four decades: refusing to accept that New Brunswick's future should be defined by its limitations. In the years since, he became a colleague, a mentor, a co-investor, and — as for so many of us — the standard we measured ourselves against.

What was most visceral for me was his absolute commitment to this province combined with the guts to live by his values. Not sentiment — conviction. Gerry believed we could build world-class capability and capacity here, and he spent his life proving it: through the companies he built and backed, the entrepreneurs he championed, and the hundreds of people he quietly made better at what they do. Jeff put it exactly right: the true measure of a leader is what they enable others to accomplish. By that measure, Gerry may be the most successful leader this province has ever produced.

He never gave you the answer. He asked the question that made you find it — then gave you the confidence to act on it.

The best way to honour him is to continue the work. Keep building here. Keep believing in people. Keep the door open for whoever's next.

Thank you, Gerry. We'll take it from here.

-Jon Barry, MNP

Gerry had a rare ability to see what was possible, bring the right people together, and turn ideas into action and businesses. He did it naturally, with passion, warmth and a great sense of humour.

I saw that firsthand at McCain Foods, when he brought together several New Brunswick tech firms, including Mariner, Innovatia and T4G, plus early stage startups he was mentoring or supporting: Porpoise, Alongside and SmartSkin. The initiative did not yield an immediate breakthrough or unicorn, but planted important seeds that reshaped the corporate incubation program I was leading, and helped us identify new applications for advanced analytics and digital technologies, including the precision agriculture pioneering work McCain is doing today.

Gerry’s optimism was contagious. His influence extended beyond individual projects and helped McCain’s leadership think differently about innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration.

He was also a close advisor and friend to Fiddlehead’s founders, Shawn and David, which gave me a privileged view of how generously he supported entrepreneurs. To me, Gerry was a mentor and trusted advisor who introduced me to many technology leaders and broadened my own sense of what was possible.

The last time I spoke with Gerry was at a McKenna Institute event in St. Andrews. His health was clearly declining, but his clarity, curiosity and drive were as strong as ever.

-Nestor Gomez, BrightLine Solutions Inc.