What do a high school teacher, a psychologist, and a mother of two have in common with a space tech founder? In this episode of The Progress Report, Defence Connect’s Tash Taylor sits down with Sheila Maria Gough Kenyon – co-founder of Starbound Space Solutions and national committee member of the Australian Space Diversity Alliance – to explore what it really looks like to carve out a career in the space sector on your own terms.

From juggling PhDs and newborns to co-building a company with a mission to rewire how we see knowledge, Sheila shares the power of late diagnosis, leading as a neurodivergent woman, and why inclusion isn’t just about talk – it’s about tangible, structural change. Together, Tash and Sheila dive deep into the invisible barriers many face in defence-adjacent industries, the realities of masking, and how true progress lies in designing for everyone – not just the usual suspects.

The Progress Report. New voices. Real stories. Big shifts.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Progress Report team

In this episode of the Cyber Uncut podcast, host Liam Garman is joined by Mike Franklin, Australian cyber security lead at Protecht, to discuss the current cyber security landscape, the importance of top-down cyber security culture, and the impact of AI on cyber security.

• Garman and Franklin begin with a discussion on the current cyber security landscape, such as the importance of risk management and the evolving techniques used by malicious actors.
• The pair also discuss the importance of differentiating IT risk, such as product availability and other operational issues, and cyber risk.
• Franklin then highlights the importance of understanding and prioritising an organisation’s critical assets and the need for a strong top-down cyber security culture.
• Finally, Franklin discusses the impact of AI on cyber security and how the role of the technology is quickly evolving from both a defence and an offence perspective.

Enjoy the episode,
The Cyber Uncut team

In this episode of the Contested Ground podcast, hosts Phil Tarrant and Major General (Ret’d) Dr Marcus Thompson explore Australia’s readiness to meet its military needs and examine the country’s role amid a rapidly changing global landscape.

They kick things off with a discussion on Commonwealth funding, before exploring the AUKUS agreement and whether its long-term success is at risk, especially in the context of political volatility in the US.

Turning their attention to the Middle East, they unpack recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel’s evolving strategy, and what it all means for Western unity.

The episode wraps up with a reflection on Australia’s waning strategic influence and how generational change in Washington could challenge the long-standing Australia–US alliance.

Enjoy the podcast,
The Contested Ground team