Blog Post
Ripples of the Pond: A Tribute to Gerry Pond
Our region, our province, our university and our centre lost a great friend and ally this week.
It’s hard to put words to the loss of our co-founder Gerry Pond, but when I heard the news, my first thought was how much I would miss our chats, his insights and his deep kindness.
Over the last day or so, I’ve had the chance to connect with so many people that Gerry left such a deep mark on, and read even more of them online. Gerry is remembered fondly as someone who would both challenge you, at the same time, be so kind – always willing to take a call, lend a hand and share some insights. Even this past Monday, I called him to see if he could still meet the next day, and he let me know he wasn’t able to meet due to his health, but he was still sharing insights with me over the phone. That embodies who Gerry was – always willing to take the call.
Our co-founders, Desh and Jaishree Deshpande, were here just a few weeks ago, and we had the chance to visit Gerry and Anne, along with the centre’s founding executive director, Karina LeBlanc. Gerry, Anne, Desh and Jaishree came together to found UNB’s Pond-Deshpande Centre in 2012, believing in the power of seeding innovation and entrepreneurship at UNB, rippling out to the broader community. We carry that vision forward today through our mission of accelerating systems change for place-based prosperity, which is just as important today as it was in 2012 and Gerry believed that.
Both place and people mattered deeply to Gerry. He held the vision for so many of us that we could, as Gordon Pitts would say, have ‘unicorns in the woods’. I remember attending PDC events in the early days, and Gerry was always there, making himself available to people who were innovating. Maybe he didn’t always believe in the specific idea you were chasing, but he believed in you – he didn’t write people off. He truly wanted others to succeed, and you could feel that he lived the adage that a rising tide raises all ships.
At Innovate NB in November, Marcel LeBrun said someone should write a book about Gerry called ‘Ripples of the Pond’ because his ripples have extended so far and deep. So the next day I called Gerry and asked him what he thought about that idea, to support the work of the PDC. He said let’s do it, but his one caveat was that he should not be made to sound like a hero (!)
Over the last few months, I’ve been talking to Gerry and Anne, compiling stories for ‘Ripples of the Pond’. I’d love to hear yours if you’d be open to a quick connection. Please reach out to me directly: vanessa.paesani@unb.ca.
And otherwise, as East Valley Ventures’ Marc Savoie so aptly said yesterday, we honour Gerry by getting back to the work he so deeply believed in, creating more ripples of the Pond.
Thank you, Gerry, for everything – you will be so missed.
Vanessa Paesani
Executive Director | UNB’s Pond-Deshpande Centre
On behalf of UNB’s Pond-Deshpande Centre ecosystem
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