InnovateNB was born out of a desire to raise awareness and spark interest in the innovative work that is happening in New Brunswick. And the InnovateNB Hall of Fame is a celebration of New Brunswick’s most accomplished innovation leaders. Each member of the Hall of Fame represents their own brand of successful innovation, and each has contributed in a meaningful way to innovation in this province.
It is a pleasure and a rare honour for Mariner to be associated with an award that celebrates the journey of the curious, of those who imagine a difference and forever impact the way we live and the opportunities available to us. To recognize, innovation is a human endeavour, and to be inspired forever by those whose passion to innovate, from here, changed and continues to change the game for all of us.
In many ways, the essence of the InnovateNB Hall of Fame is a celebration reflecting a purpose we embrace at Mariner. Who we are and the aspirations we have as an organization for talented people and the communities we serve – to innovate, always and everywhere for change that matters.
Mariner is a community of curious people who pull together to discover a better, as yet unknown future.
An innovation catalyst, we are always scaling into tomorrow for greater impact. Our change-making creates unbounded ripple effects that lift everyone where we live and work, often in unexpected ways.
That takes people who want to be better. People who want to try things that have never been done before. Things that make life better for our customers, our people and our communities.
Process, product, startup, consultant, software: they are all means to our ultimate end of advancing our community and growing in the places we work because growth fuels opportunities.
To make a change that matters requires us to imagine a difference.
Our innovation transcends technology to infuse everything we do. It’s our processes and how we deliver services. It’s how we treat our people and our clients and customers. Innovation is the spark that powers the work we do and how we do it.
Innovating is a verb, an action. It’s not theoretical or abstract. Innovation is done by doing.
Mariner is a workshop where innovation flourishes. It’s an intentionally created space for curious people who are unencumbered by what is and interested in what might be. People who can fall in love with a problem and direct their energy and intellect, their mindset and skillset to solve it.
People who want to make a difference, a change that matters.
It is with this perspective we are extremely excited and honoured to sponsor the InnovateNB Hall of Fame for the next five years and to have the privilege to welcome the inaugural inductee, our very own Gerry Pond.
In addition to co-founding Mariner, Gerry Pond, has been a driving force behind the formation of several successful Information and Communication Technology start-ups in Atlantic Canada – including iMagicTV, Q1 Labs, Brovada Technologies, Radian6 and Cirrus9.
A huge advocate for advancing entrepreneurship in region, Gerry co-founded East Valley, an accelerator and angel investment group to help passionate entrepreneurs launch meaningful and enduring technology companies by combining investment and mentorship.
As a proven innovator, Gerry was the co-founder of Propel, a start-up accelerator and the Pond-Deshpande Centre which encourages emerging entrepreneurs to accelerate the creation of sustainable, scalable enterprises. Gerry was also instrumental in the creation of the University of New Brunswick’s MBA in Business Development and Professional Sales.
A community leader and proponent of social responsibility, Gerry supports the New Brunswick Business Council, Community Anti-Poverty Initiative (BCAPI), Saint John as well as other organizations dedicated to improving our community.
Gerry has received many honours, both regionally and nationally. Among many awards and achievements, including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, the Order of New Brunswick, the Business Development Bank of Canada Entrepreneurship Champion, the 2017 EY Atlantic Lifetime Achievement Award, Gerry was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2017, the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation.