‘You belong here’ – Roscommon web designer shares powerful message for International Women’s Day
Nikita Ryan, based in Tulsk, says if you’ve been putting off investing in yourself… just do it.
When Tulsk resident Nikita Ryan returned home from Australia, she decided to take a leap.
“I came home to Ireland and just went for it,” she says—and that’s exactly how her 'I Do Website Design' was born.
The Longford native now firmly rooted in Tulsk works as a freelance web designer supporting clients with both site creation and tech guidance.
Her work—and her impact—haven’t gone unnoticed. Last November, she was named a finalist in the National Women in Business Awards. She says that it was “such a nice thing to be recognised,” but for her, the true value was the community around it. “What I loved most was being part of that group of women. When women in tech are visible and celebrated, it sends a message to others that there is a place for them here.”
Nikita praises the support she’s received from other women locally, especially through Network Ireland Roscommon. “It makes you feel like you belong and that your ambitions are valid,” she says.
On International Women’s Day, today Sunday March 8th, she believes the day carries dual purpose. “It works best when it holds both things at once—pride in progress and honesty about what still needs to change.”
Among the changes she’d most like to see is stronger maternity and childcare supports for the self employed, calling current gaps “a massive barrier that disproportionately affects women.” She also advocates for introducing financial literacy, digital skills, and business basics at school level.
“If young women grew up more comfortable with those tools, we’d see so many more female founders.”
Looking ahead, Nikita is already working on something new—an initiative designed specifically for women in trade businesses.
And her message to women this International Women’s Day? “If you’ve been putting off investing in yourself… just do it. And to every woman doing the hard, often invisible work—you’re not alone. I see you, and I’m rooting for you. Happy International Women’s Day.”
