The papers to move her sister to the United Kingdom had finally been filed. After years of building a career in neuroscience, she believed better support systems abroad would give Veruschka, who was on the autistic spectrum, the opportunity to live a more independent life. But in the very same month, Veruschka passed away at the age of 26. This moment changed the course of her life.
Today, the founder of the Veruschka Foundation Dr. Tatyana Dias has channelled that personal loss into a mission to empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through life skills, hospitality training and meaningful livelihood opportunities.
A Question That Led Her into Science
Born and raised in Mumbai, she was drawn to science from an early age, finding it “intriguing.” But her interest was never just academic.
Growing up with Veruschka made her curious about the human brain. She wanted to understand why her sister experienced the world differently and, as she puts it, carried the “naive” hope that one day she might find a cure for autism.
She pursued a bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences and Biochemistry at St. Xavier’s College before moving to the United Kingdom to continue her education.
She completed her Master’s and Doctorate in Neurobiology at the University of Edinburgh through a scholarship and educational loans.
While speaking to The Logical Indian, she recalled that her research journey was deeply rooted in a personal desire to understand her sister’s condition.
Understanding the Brain Through Research
Her doctoral research at the University of Edinburgh focused on zebrafish, a model organism originally from the Ganga that has the remarkable ability to regenerate its nervous system after injury.
By studying this process, she discovered that while humans possess similar biological pathways, they also have inhibitory signals that prevent comparable regeneration.
Her scientific journey continued at the Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, where she carried out postdoctoral research.
There, she worked on growing “mini brains in a dish” using induced pluripotent stem cells to study the relationship between Down syndrome and dementia.
It was a career built on curiosity, research and discovery. But life had other plans.
A Personal Loss Became a New Beginning
After spending over a decade in the United Kingdom, she had hoped to bring Veruschka there because support systems for adults with disabilities were far more developed than those available in India.
She had already started the process.
Then came the devastating loss.
Veruschka passed away in the same month that the paperwork for her move had been submitted.
The family decided that the best way to honour her memory was to address the very gaps they had experienced themselves.
She returned to India, and together with her parents, founded the Veruschka Foundation.
Her father invested his retirement savings to establish the organisation. Her mother, a retired school principal, and her father, a former HR head, became integral to building the foundation from the ground up.
Looking Beyond Traditional Vocational Training
As the family visited special schools across India, they noticed a recurring pattern.
Students were being taught activities such as making sandwiches or lemonade, but they were rarely learning the everyday skills needed to live independently.
In conversation with The Logical Indian, she explained that simple tasks like preparing dal, roti and subzi were often missing from vocational training, even though these were the skills that would make the biggest difference in daily life.
That observation shaped the foundation’s approach.
Why Food Became the Medium
The team chose culinary arts because food is universal.
It creates opportunities for conversation, builds confidence and brings people together.
For the founder, it also became a way to transform grief into empowerment.
The foundation’s awareness initiative, Cook for Change Challenge, uses a cookery competition to increase visibility for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Now in its third season, the initiative has expanded from Mumbai to Pune, Goa and Bengaluru, with celebrity chefs including Sanjeev Kapoor and Ranveer Brar supporting the previous seasons.
Its goal is not only to celebrate talent but also to encourage families to see skilling as being just as valuable as academics.
Building Skills That Lead to Independence
The foundation’s second vertical focuses on skill development through the Culinaris Institute of Hospitality.
Alongside her partner, Rohan, who left his career in advertising to join the mission, she established the institute to create structured training pathways.
The institute offers two programmes.
The Independent Life Skills (ILS) programme is a six-month course for PwIDDs aged 13 years and above. It focuses on practical cooking and kitchen skills required for independent daily living.
The S.E.E.D (Skill Enhancement and Economic Development) of the Future programme is designed for PwIDDs aged 18 years and above and prepares them for employment through vocational training in areas such as housekeeping and food and beverage service.
A defining feature of both programmes is their family-centric model.
Every learner trains alongside a parent or sibling, ensuring that learning continues beyond the classroom.
The foundation also facilitated government certification for these programmes under the Skill India framework without requiring traditional academic qualifications, enabling students from diverse educational backgrounds to receive official recognition.
Creating Opportunities Beyond the Classroom
Training is only one part of the journey.
The foundation’s livelihood vertical creates opportunities through three pathways: mainstream employment, micro-entrepreneurship and supported employment.
One initiative, a bite better, employs an inclusive team to produce packaged food products such as cookies, granola and makhana which are now available on Amazon.
Another initiative, Serving Change offers grazing tables and cheese platters for bespoke events, enabling their trainees to gain valuable industry experience and opportunities to engage directly with customers while showcasing their skills.
Learning to Build More Than a Career
Moving from science to social entrepreneurship was not without challenges.
She found fundraising particularly difficult because it required a completely different way of thinking.
Unlike scientific research, where grants are awarded to answer research questions, the social sector requires organisations to demonstrate the social return on investment to donors.
Despite these challenges, the foundation’s fundraising efforts grew with renewed interest for all of their programmes from CSR, family-run foundations and HNIs.
She attributes much of that progress to the support of her family.
Her father, husband and son have stood beside her throughout the journey, while her mother continues to be her greatest role model for balancing professional commitment with caregiving.
Dreaming Bigger
Among the many stories that continue to inspire her is that of Dhriti, a woman with Down syndrome who initially feared using a gas stove.
Through the foundation’s training, Dhriti gained confidence and later went on to represent India in table tennis at the Special Olympics.
For the founder, stories like these reinforce what is possible when people receive the right support.
Her message to women with disabilities and their families is simple.
“Dream big.”
She encourages families to ask for help, believe in possibilities and remember that, with the right support, there is nothing they cannot achieve.
The Logical Indian Perspective
The journey of the Verushka Foundation’s founder highlights an important shift in the way disability is viewed. Instead of focusing only on care, the foundation places equal emphasis on independence, skill development and livelihood. Its work also raises an important question about whether education and vocational training truly prepare individuals with disabilities for everyday life and employment.
By building programmes around life skills, family participation and recognised certifications, the foundation demonstrates that inclusion is not just about creating opportunities, but about designing systems that enable people to participate with dignity.
What do you think needs to change to make education and employment more inclusive for people with disabilities?
If you’d like us to feature your story, write to us at csr@5w1h.com.
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