Ndala Live
Ndala Marlene Gooding Booker, Ed.D.
Keynote Speaker, Consultant, Corporate Trainer, Executive Coach, Educator, Author
Transforming Thinking, Elevating Performance
Dr. Ndala Booker, Ed. D. has been a passionate advocate of critical thinking and professional development since 2007. Both keynote speaker and consultant, she has presented workshops and seminars nationally and internationally, across multiple industries and organizational types. Her audiences find her passionate, engaging and full of energy, as she shares practical frameworks that, when applied, create meaningful impact on both individual and organizational performance. Dr. Booker's approach combines academic rigor with real-world applicability, making critical thinking accessible and immediately useful for executives, teams, and organizations seeking to enhance their decision-making capabilities and performance outcomes. Her work spans from C-suite executive coaching to company-wide transformation initiatives. person's experience, whether academic or otherwise.
Academic Qualifications
Dr. Booker holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Adventist University, and master’s and doctoral degrees in education with a concentration in Curriculum Development and Instruction from Tennessee State University. She also completed 30 hours of communication courses at the University of Alabama, Huntsville and won a full scholarship to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting, where she received certification in broadcasting and communication. She is also a Certified Senior Academic Coach through the National Tutoring Association.
Previous Positions
Previously, Dr. Booker served as the Data Coordinator for the Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, where she immersed herself in the imperative of the university to foster “Critical Thinking Development through Writing.” At Oakwood, she also served as the Director for the Center of Academic Success and taught College Success classes. Later, she accepted the position as Retention Coordinator at Talladega College in Talladega, Alabama. There, she developed the Retention Office, proposed and managed the renovation of a new student lounge, and assisted in the creatin of a new Student Success Center.
Professional Accomplishments
After serving AdventHealth University for 8 years—first as the Director for the Center for Academic Achievement and later as faculty in the Health and Biomedical Sciences Department. She also developed and facilitated all of the workshops in critical thinking and student success for all incoming undergraduate students at AHU. Although Dr. Booker now focuses on her consulting practice, she continues to provide critical thinking sessions for AdventHealth’s graduate programs, including the Physician Assistant (PA) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) programs. Although no longer a full-time team member at AdventHealth University, Ndala remains connected to the institution as an accomplished violinist and Principal 2nd Violin in the AdventHealth Orchestra.
Discovering Critical Thinking
While working as a trainer in a government funded program, Ndala connected with a new mission of assisting young women in learning how to build self-esteem and make healthy decisions. Observing first-hand the challenges that single mothers face, she began research regarding teen pregnancy issues, which led to the development of her dissertation topic, “Decision Making and Critical Thinking among Unwed Adolescent Mothers”. During this time, she discovered her passion for critical thinking and began teaching Success courses at a local community college in Nashville, Tennessee.
Ndala Live, LLC.
Development
In 2012, along with her husband, Stranley, Dr. Booker developed Changing Spaces, an academic success/critical thinking program geared towards helping students acquire the skills necessary to effectively function in their academic environment, especially in the face of what was then the new era of social media. Her desire was to help students better understand themselves, communicate more effectively, and learn to think critically about their goals and their future. This program has evolved into what is now NdalaLive, LLC, which serves a broader audience beyond academia.
Expansion
The program has expanded to include a large segment on critical thinking in the workplace. NdalaLive’s motto is “Change your space. If we each work on changing our own space then we can change the world.” More broadly, Dr. Booker is dedicated to helping individuals achieve success both in academia and the business world, as they learn to manage, improve and enhance their space through the art of critical thinking.
International Presentations
In Trinidad, West Indies, Dr. Booker had the opportunity to speak at a Youth Leadership Conference on the topic of purpose and potential, and facilitated a Critical Thinking/Academic Success workshop for 250 students and faculty members at the University of the Southern Caribbean. Later, she returned to Trinidad to present sessions of critical thinking in the workplace at an annual business conference in Port of Spain and presented on “Innovation and Critical Thinking”. In May 2017, she had the opportunity to present critical thinking workshops to university faculty and students at Federal Polytechnic University in Ado. Ekiti, Nigeria. In Summer 2024, Dr. Booker was invited to Grenada in the West Indies to deliver the keynote address for the “Destined for Greatness” Men’s Conference.
Delivery
Dr. Booker delivers keynote presentations, interactive workshops, executive coaching, and customized training sessions across multiple sectors. Her clients include primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, corporations, healthcare organizations, professional associations, and government agencies. She has presented both nationally and internationally, serving clients such as Princeton University, Meharry Medical College, LinkUnite, Women of Fintech, and numerous corporate teams seeking to enhance their critical thinking capabilities and organizational performance.
Critical Thinking
What is Critical Thinking ?
Critical thinking has been the subject of much debate since the time of early Greek philosophers such as Plato and Socrates and many definitions have been put forward. The simplest definition of Critical Thinking is “identifying, analyzing and solving problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct”.
Applying Critical Thinking
Ndala believes that everything we do starts with a thought. If we can improve our thought process, we can improve everything else about our life. The quality of all we do is determined by the quality of the way we think. Therefore, by improving the quality of our thinking, we will elevate our performance in business, academic and personal arenas. Ndala firmly believes that if each of us can work on improving our own space by thinking better, then our entire world will be improved as a result. So, in essence…
Change your space, change the world
Professional Development in Critical Thinking
More About Ndala
Wife, Mother & Grandmother
Ndala and her husband Stranley have been married for over 30 years and are proud parents of four children and grandparents to three granddaughters.
Talented Singer & Violinist
Dr. Booker balances her professional life with her love of music. Ndala has performed in churches, civic centers, auditoriums and amphitheaters in England, Germany, Greece, Russia, Canada, the West Indies and all over the United States including Carnegie Hall. In 2014, she played the role of Reno Sweeney, the lead actress in the theatrical production of Anything Goes for the University of Alabama Huntsville’s Music Theater performance.
Why Critical Thinking? Video
See Ndala explain the benefits of Critical Thinking