Building a Business in Finland, One Community at a Time
Julia Zhukova, founder of Nerdsbay, on relocation, resilience and why persistence is the only thing that matters
When Julia Zhukova moved to Finland, the country still felt like “a mystery country somewhere in the north” to many international professionals. People knew about Sweden and Norway. Finland, despite its quality of life, strong public services and growing tech sector, was often less visible.
That gap became the starting point for Nerdsbay.
Founded in 2019, Nerdsbay began as an information channel for IT professionals interested in relocating to Finland. Today, it has grown into a Finnish HR-tech company supporting international professionals with relocation, community, payroll, job fairs and Employer of Record services.
Julia’s work has also been recognised beyond the company itself. Earlier this year, she was awarded the Entrepreneurship Award by International Working Women of Finland, an NGO that supports international women and promotes equality and diversity in Finnish working life.
The recognition feels fitting. Nerdsbay says it has helped more than 1,000 specialists and family members relocate to Finland, while its professional community has grown to more than 18,000 people. Its work now sits at the centre of a growing shift in global careers: helping people live in Finland while working for companies around the world.
But behind the numbers is a deeply human story. Julia is an immigrant, a mother, a former IT project manager and a founder who built her company through uncertainty, adaptation and a very practical kind of courage.
By Varsha Saraogi
Can you introduce yourself and Nerdsbay?
I’m Julia. I live in Finland, I’m an immigrant, a mother and an entrepreneur. I run Nerdsbay.
We started by helping people get hired in Finland, mainly by connecting Finnish companies with international IT professionals. But the market changed many times, especially during COVID and after. We had to adapt.
Since 2023, our main focus has been Employer of Record services. This means people can live in Finland legally while working for a company based abroad.
How did your background help you build the business?
I have a master’s degree in computer science and worked in IT projects for around 12 years. That background helped a lot.
At first, I did not even call myself an entrepreneur. I still thought of myself as a project manager or product owner. But that mindset was useful. I knew how to take something complex, break it into tasks, prioritise and keep moving.
Entrepreneurship is different, though. There is no manager above you. The decisions, risks and responsibility are yours.
What has been the hardest part of entrepreneurship?
The hardest part is decision-making.
I have been lucky to have good people around me. A mentor from Business Finland, my husband, and friends who are also entrepreneurs. But at the end of the day, the final decisions are still mine.
As the company grows, you can delegate or automate routine work. What stays with you is the difficult part: taking risks, choosing direction and carrying responsibility.
That is both the most interesting and the most demanding part.
You were also building the company while becoming a mother during COVID. What was that period like?
It was probably the most difficult period after relocating to Finland.
We had just started the company, signed our first clients and begun building momentum. Then COVID happened, and I became a mother at the same time.
I was mostly alone with my newborn daughter, separated from family, friends and society. It was isolating.
The online community helped me through it. I supported them, and they supported me. That made a huge difference.
How did the Nerdsbay community begin?
It started as an information channel.
I shared my own relocation experience, almost like a diary. Because of my project management background, my posts were practical and structured — more like instructions.
That worked well because the early community was mostly IT professionals. I understood their questions, and they understood my way of thinking. That helped build trust.
What made you see the opportunity?
Back in 2019, I organised an event for Finnish companies and saw a clear demand for IT talent.
At the same time, many international professionals were curious about Finland but did not know how relocation worked or whether finding a job here was realistic.
There were not many information channels about Finland then. So, in a way, Nerdsbay also started as a way to make Finland more visible.
What are you most proud of today?
I am proud that I built something useful from scratch.
Today, I can pay my bills through the company, provide work for other people and offer services that people recommend. That means a lot.
Success stories often make it look like everything happens quickly. For me, it has been years of work, adaptation and persistence.
Maybe I could have earned the same as a senior project manager. But this is something I built myself, from nothing. That matters.
What advice would you give to international women in Finland?
Find your people.
That is the most important advice I can give. It was difficult for me because I arrived during COVID and was also a new mother. But community matters, especially when you are building a life in a new country.
Finland has many communities for women, different nationalities, professions, entrepreneurs, designers, sports, culture and more. Start with one shared interest or identity, and deeper connections can grow from there.
Networking does not always need to look formal. Sometimes it starts with a walk, a volleyball game, an exhibition or organising a book club with a simple message saying, “Who wants to join?”
Which women have shaped you the most?
My mother and my sister.
My mother is calm and reserved. She was not someone who constantly gave praise, so I was often trying to earn those words: “You did it.” I think that shaped my drive.
My sister also influenced me. She is nine years older, very educated and always impressive. I tried to compete with her when I was younger. Now I do not, but that experience developed something in me.
Today, I meet many women with powerful stories. I do not think we need one idol. Every person can teach us something.
What word best describes your entrepreneurial journey?
Persistent. You wake up every day and do the work, even when you are not seeing results yet. The idea may change, but you continue.
What final message would you give to international women in Finland?
Do not carry words that do not belong to you. In Finland, the community is generally supportive. But if someone says something that does not resonate with you, leave it with them. It is not yours to carry.
Conclusion
Julia’s story is about building slowly, adapting often and continuing when the path is uncertain.
Nerdsbay began with practical guidance for IT professionals. Today, it reflects something much bigger: the changing nature of work, relocation and belonging in Finland.
And Julia’s lesson is refreshingly clear. Success is about continuing.