E5 Sharon Cavanagh-Luskin

In this episode of Tech-Centric Planet, hosts Mary Beth Huskey and Martin Parr speak with neuroscientist and innovator Mahtab Ameri about her groundbreaking framework, The Neuroscience of AI. Mahtab explains how fear—not technology—is the biggest barrier to AI adoption, and how our brain’s natural alarm systems shape resistance, uncertainty, and curiosity. She introduces her four-stage model for guiding people from fear to readiness by understanding neurobiology, reframing emotional responses, and building “self-leadership” for change. The conversation explores why AI triggers identity-level fears, how small amounts of uncertainty can boost learning, and why empathy and imagination remain uniquely human advantages. Inspiring and deeply human, this episode reimagines AI adoption not as a technical journey, but as a neurological and emotional one.

On this episode of Tech Centric Planet, Mary Beth Hosking and Professor Martin Parr talk to innovator Natalie Matthews about Re Human OS, a new technology-driven framework and forthcoming app designed to support people through the most challenging human experiences, including grief and trauma. Drawing on years of studying psychology and her own profound personal losses, Natalie explains how she mapped the emotional and cognitive processes people go through during traumatic events, identifying a major gap in existing mental-health support. Natalie explains her vision is - to offer a sensitive, personalised, tech-enabled bridge that helps individuals understand, process, and navigate their emotions long before traditional therapies become accessible. The conversation explores the courage behind transforming pain into innovation, the resistance that innovators often face, and the enormous potential this approach has to complement healthcare systems and empower people on their healing journeys.

In this episode of Tech-Centric Planet, hosts Mary Beth Hosking and Professor Martin Parr speak with telehealth pioneer Shawn Valenta about how virtual healthcare delivery is transforming access, efficiency, and sustainability in medicine. Drawing on over two decades of experience, including his role as the first Director of Telehealth at the Medical University of South Carolina, Shawn explains how remote care not only improves outcomes and reduces costs but also cuts carbon emissions by eliminating unnecessary travel. He highlights successes from scaling national telehealth programs to innovations in correctional healthcare, where virtual emergency services now deliver specialist care within minutes. Shawn reflects on overcoming regulatory and reimbursement hurdles, the importance of data-driven outcomes, and the potential of AI to support providers and patients alike—underscoring telehealth’s role in creating more equitable, sustainable healthcare systems worldwide.

Money doesn’t have to be scary. In this episode of Tech-Centric Planet, Jo Baker reveals how her Savvy Living Formula is helping women rewrite their financial stories, break free from taboos, and create lasting stability, one simple step at a time.

Today Mary Beth Hosking interviews Professor Martin Parr about his innovative approach to transforming organizations. They explore how systems thinking enables organizations to identify high-leverage interventions that produce meaningful change with minimal effort. Martin shares practical examples from government projects and discusses how this holistic method improves decision-making, reduces waste, and enhances impact. They also critique the overuse and misuse of digital transformations in organizations, advocating instead for people-centred, systems-based change. 

In Episode 5 of Techcentric Planet, Mary-Beth Hosking and Professor Martin Parr had the honour of sitting down with one of the most visionary science leaders in Australia — Sharon Cavanagh-Luskin, First Nations Chief Scientist and Founder of Illuminate-FNQ. From leading Australia’s first First Nations-led Science Festival to driving new models for STEM education and engagement, Sharon is not just participating in the science discourse — she’s rewriting it.  This episode is rich with purpose, partnership, and potential. It’s a must-listen for anyone who cares about equity in science, innovation, and the future of this country. 

Today we chat with Julia Bakay about her novel way of adapting keynote artistry to engage delegates in the key messages of a conference. Julia works remotely so that she can eliminate the carbon cost of travel, and to save travel time. Using technology to adapt keynote artistry really is making great improvements to the way that people work together in meetings and conferences, and helping the planet.

We chat with Markko Waas, Co-Founder of Claims Carbon, an insurance tech start up helping the insurance industry measure, manage, and reduce emissions tied to claims and operations. 

The Indigenous food industry in Australia is a multimillion-dollar market, yet less than 2% of businesses in this space are Indigenous-owned. It’s time for that to change and systems approaches can help. In today’s episode of TechCentric Planet, we sit down with Lara Wilde, managing director of AgriFood Catalyst to talk about: Why Indigenous representation in the food industry matters The importance of farming not just sustainably, but respectfully How we can better support Indigenous food entrepreneurs

In our first episode we talk to James Scholes, an innovator who has developed a novel approach to stopping drones. James talks about the day when an unknown drone lowered itself into his garden and he decided that it was time to do something about this. James talks about his journey as an innovator and what kept him going, he talks about the barriers he met and how he overcame these.