Dalene Deale is the founder of Business Growth Hacking (BGH) Consulting and the co-founder of Under Culture (Pty) Ltd, the parent company of Big Girl Panties. She specialises in fintech, digital identity, payments, fraud prevention, and commercialisation, bringing a deep understanding of regulatory environments and complex ecosystem design to her advisory work. With leadership experience across multiple industries, she has worked extensively with regulators, financial institutions, and fintechs across South Africa, the broader African continent, and the Middle East. 

Her expertise lies in shaping growth strategies, aligning innovation with regulatory integrity, and helping organisations navigate the intersection of technology, trust, and human-centred design. 

Dalene holds a Doctorate in Technology Adoption of Complex Systems, with her research exploring how socio-economic context, institutional trust, behavioural dynamics, and systemic inequality influence the adoption of digital identity technologies in developing economies. This work provides a nuanced framework for designing inclusive, sustainable technology ecosystems and informs much of her strategic advisory practice. 

She is also a published poet, with her latest work, Me, Myself & AI, nearing its final stages of production. Alongside this, her newest endeavour finds its home within Under Culture, a business dedicated to celebrating the lived realities and quiet triumphs of the remarkable people with whom Dalene has the privilege of engaging. Under Culture curates and elevates these narratives as a testament to the power of authenticity, resilience, and the belief that every person is, in their own way, profoundly StoryWorthy.