Our History

Real-life strategy to reach your goals.

Founded at the University of New Brunswick in 2012 by entrepreneurs Gerry Pond and Gururaj and Jaishree Deshpande, PDC was built on a bold idea: lasting prosperity requires new ways of thinking, working together and solving complex problems.

  • Supported by the ecosystem: Early investment from government and philanthropy helped PDC turn entrepreneurship into a catalyst for change.

  • Built a track record in social innovation and social entrepreneurship, tackling complex challenges including workforce development, immigration, early childhood education, health and housing.

  • Today, we’re focused on accelerating systems change for place-based prosperity, working at the intersection of innovation, enterprise and changemaker development, honouring the vision of our founders.

Our Vision

Real-life strategy to reach your goals.

UNB’s Pond-Deshpande Centre accelerates systems change for place-based prosperity by working on the conditions that shape how people participate in the economy, businesses and communities build wealth, governments solve complex problems, and knowledge gets turned into action.

Our Values

Real-life strategy to reach your goals.

We lead with trust, work through collaboration, and pursue bold ideas with excellence.

  • Transparency & Trust — We work openly, building trust through honesty, clarity and accountability.

  • Equity & Collaboration — We bring different perspectives together and create the conditions for everyone to contribute.

  • Boldness & Excellence — We challenge the status quo, pursue ambitious ideas and hold ourselves to a high standard.

Our Goals

Real-life strategy to reach your goals.

  • Better pathways into the economy

    Closing gaps between education, skills, training and employment so more people can participate in and benefit from the economy.

  • Stronger locally rooted businesses and organizations

    Helping enterprises grow, create jobs and generate economic and social value that stays in Atlantic communities.

  • Better ways to finance what communities need

    Strengthening community finance and investment so locally rooted ideas, enterprises and assets can grow.

  • More competitive and resilient businesses

    Helping Atlantic Canadian businesses adapt to changing markets, build resilience and seize new opportunities.

  • Governments better able to solve complex problems

    Breaking down silos and creating better ways to tackle challenges that cross departments, sectors and communities.

  • University knowledge turned into action

    Connecting research, expertise and talent with real-world challenges to create practical solutions for Atlantic Canada.

Our SDG Targets

To learn more about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – visit their website at https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/