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Connecting people, yarning through stories.
Hosted by Lockie Cooke, founder and CEO of iYARN, this podcast brings together powerful conversations with changemakers, community leaders, researchers, and innovators across Australia and beyond. Each episode explores how culture, technology, and community insight intersect to drive meaningful change — particularly in health, wellbeing, and social innovation.
Lockie is a non-Indigenous Australian who has worked in partnership with First Nations organisations for over 20 years. Through these long-standing relationships — and his connection with his cultural;ly adopted Aboriginal family in Ardiyooloon community in the North West of Western Australia — Lockie approaches each yarn with deep respect, cultural humility, and a shared commitment to strengthening self-determination and data sovereignty across Australia.
Whether discussing Indigenous data sovereignty, wearable tech in remote communities, mental health, or creative grassroots initiatives, iyarn Yarns invites listeners into grounded and thoughtful conversations about connection, belonging, and purpose.
Episodes
Thursday Oct 09, 2025
Thursday Oct 09, 2025
In this special ABC Radio Sydney interview, Lockie Cooke, founder and CEO of iYARN, joins host Craig Reucassel to discuss how wearable technology is transforming healthcare access in remote Aboriginal communities across Australia.
Lockie shares how iYARN’s culturally informed digital platform is empowering researchers and healthcare professionals to collect real-time health data seamlessly — from heart rate and ECG scans to wellbeing check-ins — all while upholding data sovereignty and community ownership.
The conversation dives into:
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How projects with the Djurali Aboriginal Heart Research Centre are improving early detection of atrial fibrillation (AF).
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The critical role of telehealth and wearables in improving access to care in remote regions.
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Why data security and sovereignty are essential to ensure First Nations health data stays protected and locally managed.
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What’s next for iYARN’s collaboration with the Digital Health CRC, to be showcased at SXSW Sydney 2025.
Tune in to explore how technology, culture, and community collaboration are helping bridge the health gap facing Indigenous Australians.
Monday Jul 06, 2020
Monday Jul 06, 2020
As a reformed rat racer, start-up survivor and private company workaholic, Joris Cuesta is referred to as the Plateau Hacker. With more than 15 years’ experience working within marketing, branding and management teams, Joris knows how to get leaders unstuck in their careers, redefine their edge and re-ignite the fire behind their performance.
Joris is obsessed with helping leaders in organisations overcome disconnection, isolation, and stagnation, so they can reconnect with the career they love and thrive.
Do you feel like you have hit a plateau in your career? As though there is no clear way forward? Joris delves deeply into what matters to you, enabling you to drive your unique style of leadership, bring greater innovation to your organisation, and genuinely connect with your people and customers.
Joris’s work creates immense clarity that energises executive teams, empowers managers and excites teams. He has collaborated with companies across various industries, including Fitstop Fitness, DHL Express, MyBudget, Teacher Mutual Bank, UniBank, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Quicksilver, Grey Goose, Chivas and more.
Joris is a passionate and sought-after trainer, mentor and keynote speaker. His clients refer to his infectious energy as a true gift that pushes them the extra mile so they can take their careers to the next level. He works with senior leaders, companies, agencies and individuals looking to make a difference in their lives and, as a result, the lives of their teams and clients.
Tuesday Jun 09, 2020
Tuesday Jun 09, 2020
Tommaso D'Orsogna is an Australian swimmer and Olympic medallist from Perth, WA. He spent 8 years on the Australian swim team, competing at four World Championships, four World Short Course Championships, two Pan Pacific Championships, two Commonwealth Games and an Olympic Games in 2012. He spent nearly five years at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra moulding himself physically and mentally for peak performance. Whilst aspiring and achieving his dreams in the pool, outside of it, Tommaso has also pursued his dream of being a doctor. Now a final year medical student at Notre Dame University, Tommaso is still actively involved in swimming, not just as an athlete. He is also a Director on the Board of Swimming WA and a part of their High-Performance committee. He is passionate about developing and encouraging future champions both in and out of the pool.
iyarn can be found here:
Tuesday May 12, 2020
Tuesday May 12, 2020
Nick is the founder of The Push-Up Challenge and is known for his decisive and personable leadership style and his track record of motivating teams, workplaces and communities to deliver results.
Building The Push-Up Challenge from its humble origins, Nick has led the event to attract around 50,000 participants and raise $2.5M for mental health in 2019. He has significant experience in organisational strategy, project delivery and public speaking across a number of industries.
Nick is involved in various community groups including his local surf life saving club where he has received multiple service awards including club person of the year.
Nick is driven by his motto of ‘bring people together for better’ and achieves this using a community heart and an analytical head.
This year's Push Up Challenge could push over 100,000 members, its not too late to join here:
https://www.thepushupchallenge.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/pushforbetter
iyarn socials here:
Saturday Apr 18, 2020
Saturday Apr 18, 2020
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Tuesday Apr 14, 2020
Troy co-founded Nexba with friend Drew Bilbe in 2011. For Nexba's CEO-Global, his favourite thing is turning creative ideas into sustainable businesses. Troy’s experience as a marketing executive and paralegal inspired his interest in strategic brand management. He oversees everything connected with the strategic global expansion of Nexba.
Nexba can be found here:
iyarn can be found here:
Saturday Apr 11, 2020
Saturday Apr 11, 2020
Jamie Clough is an inspirational entrepreneur. Onto his second business, in honey! He houses 60 million bees in Western Australia and he has a great vision for his business.
https://www.honeyforlife.com.au/
iyarn can be found here:
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Dr. Arne Rubinstein (mbbs, fracgp)
Founder & CEO, The Rites of Passage Institute.
Dr. Arne Rubinstein is an internationally recognised expert on Childhood Development and Rites of Passage. His programs have been attended by over 200,000 people in more than 20 countries around the world and are now a part of over 50 schools around Australia.
Dr Arne is a medical doctor and specialised first in Family Medicine and then spent 15 years in Emergency Medicine until he moved full time creating programs for parents and their children.
He is the author of the best-seller The Making of Men and has won multiple awards for his work including being nominated in 2008 for Australian of the Year for his groundbreaking work with youth, providing much-needed answers and tools to support a generation of young men and women be happy and motivated about life.
Dr Arne is the proud father of two wonderful young men and a mentor to many others.
https://ritesofpassageinstitute.org/
iyarn can be found here:
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Wednesday Apr 08, 2020
Saturday Apr 04, 2020
Saturday Apr 04, 2020