IALE Institute - About us

About IALE Institute

We are a formidable multidisciplinary consulting firm specialising in technology and innovation, with a potent blend of intellectual capital, advanced technological skills, and extensive business experience. Our mission is to aid organisations in their development journey by leveraging systems and design thinking principles in a novel way. Our client-specific innovation solutions encompass a variety of domains, such as the implementation of digital technology, strategy, organisational development, community development, utility management, management, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, workforce development, and educational advancements, among others.

Dr Allen Mutono is the CEO of IALE Institute and leads its work as Africa’s premier AI transformation consultancy. He holds a PhD in Technology and Innovation and brings 25 years of experience across technology entrepreneurship, innovation management, and skills development. Dr Mutono has implemented projects for clients including ICASA, MICT SETA, AfriSam, the South African National AIDS Council, and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory, ASSMANG, Anglo American, the government of the Northern Cape Province, SIOC, JTG Trust, Frances Baard District Municipality, Bank of Uganda, Reserve Bank of South Africa, MTN South Africa. In 2021, the Department of Basic Education appointed him to lead the evaluation of South Africa’s National Coding and Robotics Curriculum. He is the author of The AI Toolkit: A Non-Technical Guide for Using AI at Work, a 2015 TT100 finalist for the Minister of Science and Technology’s Award, and a board member of the South African Robotics Club.

Dr Ife Adeleke, a Director at IALE Institute, heads training and managerial leadership development. She holds a Doctor of Education in adaptive teaching practices from Tshwane University of Technology, a Master’s in Educational Studies, and a Bachelor of Education from the University of the Witwatersrand. Dr Adeleke spent nearly nine years as a lecturer in Professional Studies and Life Skills at TUT, where she designed and taught curriculum, and continues to work as an independent instructional coach with schools such as Pretoria Montessori and Mitchell College. Her published research covers professional wellness, inclusive STEM pedagogy, technology integration, and mental health. She also serves as CEO of Plush Organics and co-founder of the JIFE Foundation.

Tsholofelo Nowalaza leads IALE Institute’s business development across the Northern Cape, drawing on deep ties with the region’s mining, agricultural, and local government sectors. A multi-award winning entrepreneur, she is Founding Director of Sayda Communications and Creative Director at Tasty Express, a community-rooted delivery platform serving Postmasburg and surrounding towns. Tsholofelo brings a rare combination of strategic marketing, brand development, and frontline client engagement, sharpened during earlier years in the region’s mining service economy at Barloworld Equipment. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Harvard Business School, a Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design from NEMISA, and additional credentials in new venture creation and digital communication. Based in Postmasburg, she ensures that IALE’s work in the Northern Cape stays close to the people and businesses it serves.

Samantha Kemisola Matthews directs IALE Institute’s West African operations from Lagos. She is Head of Business Development and Strategy at WTS Blackwood Stone, a tax law and professional services firm within the WTS Global network, where she leads the build-out of the firm’s AI, Data and Technology practice. Her career sits at the meeting point of corporate strategy, professional services, and emerging technology governance, with earlier experience in oil and gas advisory at ExxonMobil. She has engaged directly with Nigeria’s foremost regulators, including FIRS, NITDA, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria, and the NCC. Samantha is pursuing the IAPP Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional certification and writes and speaks on translating global AI principles into practical board-level practice for African institutions.

Angel Yopa Persis joined IALE Institute in early 2026 as AI Experience Executive, where she leads business development and oversees project lifecycles for the consultancy’s AI and digital technology engagements. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP®) with nine years of experience, she has delivered work on climate adaptation for farmers, women and youth economic participation, and financial inclusion across East Africa. Angel previously consulted with Crosslinks Consults Ltd in Kampala, where she trained institutional leaders and Project Management Offices, and served as Projects and Monitoring Officer at Agro Consortium. She is currently a Master of Social Sciences candidate in Development Studies at the University of Pretoria, and serves as Vice President for Membership at the Project Management Institute’s Uganda Chapter. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business from Makerere University.