About Beyond Cubicles
📢 #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina D’Souza, born out of her own experience transitioning from a corporate career to independent consulting. Since its launch in June 2024, the series has evolved into a platform that showcases the inspiring journeys of several founders who have redefined the traditional 9-to-5.
Through authentic narratives, #BeyondCubicles highlights themes of courage, resilience, and purpose. The stories feature individuals from diverse industries—ranging from tech and education to wellness and adventure—who share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers.Â
✨ Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.
"If you feel strongly about something, take the plunge."
For Veena Kanchan and Siddharth Ramnathan, founding VS Design Studio was the culmination of years of dedication and a shared vision.
Veena’s passion for designing functional, beautiful spaces began in Mumbai and grew during her early career in Dubai from 2006, where she worked on large-scale projects with reputed interior design consultants.
Leading the design of six flagship Rove Hotels for Emaar Hospitality Group in 2014 became a defining moment in her career. “These flagship projects became trend-setting and award-winning, and boosted my confidence,” she says.
In 2016, balancing motherhood and her drive for design, Veena launched the design studio.
Siddharth moved to Dubai during its construction boom in 2005. After 13 years of professional growth, he joined Veena in 2018 to lead the firm’s architecture division. “The biggest challenge was leaving the security of a job and venturing into open waters,” he says.
Their complementary skills and shared vision became the foundation of their boutique firm.
While Siddharth managed the complexities of architectural projects, Veena balanced aesthetics with commercial success. Together, their strengths enabled the studio to expand its portfolio across the UAE, KSA, Jordan, and Kuwait.
“Leading the way in formulating a vision that aligned with our passion was key,” says Veena.
The journey has been transformative. “Every creative person should understand how the business works and the factors that impact it,” says Siddharth, emphasizing the mindset needed to run a business. Veena highlights the importance of early branding, advising, “Invest in marketing the business early on.”
Today, their portfolio reflects their ethos of human-centric, functional design.
“Our children witness our journey—the passion, hard work, and resilience. It’s my secret motivation to keep going,” says Veena, who has also embraced hobbies like pottery, strength training, and yoga.
Siddharth adds, “If you feel strongly about something, take the plunge. It’s not easy, but failures are your biggest teachers.”
With a growing portfolio and a commitment to meaningful design, the duo continues to shape spaces—and lives—in Dubai, which they now call home.