Helena & Kate Ryan
Helena and Kate Ryan, classes of 2005 and 2007, WellFest
In the field of health and fitness, Helena Ryan is an innovator and pioneer who co-founded the award winning festival, WellFest.
Helena graduated university with a bachelor degree in Business and Law from University College Dublin. In 2011, Helena commenced a training contract with William Fry Solicitors and qualified into the Commercial Real Estate department where she currently works as a Senior Associate.
In November 2014, WellFest started life as an idea between Helena and Fionnualla Cleary. As the idea grew from seed concept to start-up, Helena’s sister Katie Ryan (class of 2007) and Fionnualla’s husband Anthony Kelly joined them.
On 19 September 2015, WellFest held its first event in Herbert Park. Since then, WellFest has taken off. Held annually ever since with approximately 11,000 people attending the most recent festival in Royal Hospital Kilmainham in May 2019.
Although the summer festival is still the jewel in the crown, WellFest is much more than this and has now become a health, fitness and wellness community offering the blog and year round ‘pop-up’ style events.
Helena won Young Businesswoman of the Year at the Image Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2018.