Who We Are - Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation

our vision and mission

Four ideas hold ABBF together. Pick one to read it in full.

to build an inclusive world for persons with and without disability.

That is ABBF's sole reason to be. Everything we run is aimed at eradicating the stigma that still surrounds disability today.

a world where no one is left behind.

“A world where people with and without disabilities come together as equals and truly belong.”

Divyanshu Ganatra, founder, in the 2025-26 Annual Impact Report (opens in a new tab)

to promote empathy and inclusivity for all, through outdoor sport.

By organising outdoor sports activities, we encourage dialogue and build empathy between persons with and without disability. Treks, tandem cycling, marathons, SCUBA diving and paragliding put everyone on the same trail, as equals.

For every participant, with or without disability, these interactions result in:

enhanced life skills
increased self-confidence
better social skills
a heightened awareness of the need for an equitable world

from one man's lost sight to a movement.

ABBF grew out of a single refusal to accept limits. Here is how that refusal became a foundation.

at nineteen
Divyanshu loses his sight
Glaucoma takes his eyesight. He goes on to become a clinical psychologist, and India's first blind pilot.
13 October 2014
ABBF is born
Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation is registered as a Section 8 not-for-profit company.
the firsts
adventure, made accessible
Manali to Khardung La on tandem cycles. India's first open water SCUBA diving and paramotoring events for PwDs. Inclusive climbs to Kilimanjaro.
2025-26
one year of moving together
42 inclusive experiences across 5 states, with 3,813 persons with disabilities and 6,826 allies: 58,072 hours of people moving together.

2025-26 figures from the ABBF Annual Impact Report 2025-26 (opens in a new tab).

Portrait of Divyanshu Ganatra, founder of ABBF

the beginning of a long, rewarding journey.

At nineteen, Divyanshu Ganatra lost his eyesight to glaucoma. Despite the challenges, he pursued a career as a clinical psychologist and became India's first blind pilot.

Why? Because he simply could not reconcile with what the world was trying to tell him: that the rest of his life would be spent making cane furniture and chalk pieces. That need to do more, be more, say more led to the birth of Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation. An organisation aimed at eradicating the stigma that surrounds disability even today.

In effect, Divyanshu lost his sight, but gained a vision: to promote empathy and inclusivity for all; to create a world where no one is left behind. And that is the very heart of ABBF.

the team that makes the magic happen. every single day.

Nimisha Mehta
Director, Head of Finance, Compliance and Legal
After 20+ years as an educator, Nimisha, fondly known as Taai, joined her brother in starting ABBF. For the last 10 years she has headed finance, admin, operations and legal compliance, with short, unofficial stints as Divyanshu's private shopper and stylist. She also works as a Communication Facilitator at Yellow Brick Road, and rewatches Disney classics or her all-time favourite: The Sound of Music.
Paresh
Head of Corporate and Client Relations
ABBF's very own rockstar when it comes to engaging with corporate partners. His charm and Zen Master level calm help him build relationships that last, and navigate the trickiest corporate corridors with enviable ease. He is a honcho at Nasscom, too. Off the clock, Paresh is a globe-trotting adventurer who can cook up a storm.
Prashant Kolhe
Head of Operations
Perhaps the tallest of the lot at ABBF, but taller still is the stack of hats he wears. In his interview he said, “Je kaam padel, te karin” (whatever work you need done, I'll get it done), and he has stayed true to his word. Years of running Anubhooti, his own organisation, help him turn every event into a success.
Vidula Kulkarni
Advisor, Inclusive Design and Accessibility Audits
Architect. Auditor. Accessibility whisperer. For 25+ years Vidula has been reshaping how India approaches inclusive design. As Principal Architect at KUL KONZEPTS she leads projects across architecture, interiors, landscape and sustainability, and trains architects to make spaces work for everyone.
Chandrakant
Outreach Executive, Tandem Cycling Lead
After running, cycling and paragliding with ABBF as a participant, Chandrakant switched to an ABBF crew jersey. He builds bridges with foundation partners and helps PwDs discover new events, navigate commutes and feel at home in the ABBF community. Off duty: a book, or Arijit Singh.

our governing board, evangelists and advisors.

Animesh Samuel
Founder of Light Information Systems and the mind behind NLPBots. A board member dedicated to focusing on the abilities of persons with disability, and all about building bridges, not walls.
Aparna Prabhudesai
Achievement coach and behavioural psychologist. In 2016, at 47, she climbed Mount Everest after doctors said she would never walk unaided again. Every year she organises inclusive treks to Everest Base Camp.
Cyrus Boman Shroff
Studied law in Germany and is our resident social evangelist. For him, ABBF is the ultimate platform for adventure, excitement, and living without limits.
Nilesh Pandurang Tarawade
Hotelier, social worker, Lions member and former Mayor of Pune, always ready to help with ABBF's transportation needs.
Sameena Abbas Manasawala
Clinical psychologist, head of the Kaveri Gifted Education Center, TED speaker, and a trekker who never misses a chance to get outdoors.
Tushar Balasaheb Zad
A director of Zad Hotels in Pune and a long-standing supporter whose dedication has been instrumental in our journey.