Belén Cota
ENES
SociologistInstructional designerFounder

A sociologist before a designer

Before I design anything, I go and listen. Sociology taught me that in the field: nine years of community research and volunteer training with TECHO, and needs assessments in 45 communities with ProSociedad.

Belén with her TECHO volunteer team Scroll to explore
12+years designing learning
45communities assessed in 3 states
400+professionals trained
3learning lines built as a founder

In 2021 I founded GUCO Learning Lab, a boutique lab that designs learning for individuals, families and organizations. In 2026 I designed for BBVA México's learning platform with Sarape Social. I am completing a Master's in Innovation Development and Leadership.

In the field

Where I learned to listen

Nine years with TECHO taught me what no classroom did: go to the community, ask, and let the answers shape the plan.

TECHO volunteers walking into a community
Walking in to listen first.
A circle of TECHO volunteers during a training at dusk
Training volunteers before going out.
Belén in a TECHO t-shirt leading an activity
Leading an activity with the team.
Belén with her TECHO volunteer team
The team behind the work.
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How I work

ADDIE, with a sociologist's eye

AAnalysisI go and listen: surveys, interviews, observation, before any objective is written.
DDesignClear objectives, real-world tasks and an evaluation route planned from day one.
DDevelopmentGuides, videos, eLearning modules and gamified activities, tested with real learners.
IImplementationI facilitate in person and online, and train the people who will deliver it next.
EEvaluationFeedback and data feed the next version. As in any lab, there is always one.
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What I believe

Three principles I bring to every project

1Listen to everyone firstI talk with leadership and with the people who will learn, then confirm what I hear with interviews or surveys before setting priorities.
2Not every problem needs trainingIf the root cause is a process, an incentive or a communication gap, I say so and propose that fix instead. With TECHO, a planned education project became a set of stairs.
3Evaluate while it runsI use evaluation tools aligned with the objectives during implementation, not only at the end, so the program can adjust as it goes.
Credentials

Always learning

In progressMaster's in Innovation Development and Leadership
U.S. Embassy · August 2026Creating and Implementing Online Courses
CCHEP · March 2026Hybrid Learning Planning and Assessment
U.S. Embassy · June 2023Professional Development of Teacher Trainers
Google · March 2023Foundations of Project Management
Universidad de Guadalajara · 2019Bachelor's in Sociology
Oxford · CENNIEnglish C1
Toolkit
Design & authoringArticulate · Genially · H5P · Canva · AI for ID
Learning platformsMoodle · Canvas · Google Classroom · Schoology
Video & audioDaVinci Resolve · Premiere · Filmora · Loom · OBS
EngagementKahoot! · Quizizz · Socrative · Padlet · Forms
CollaborationZoom · Teams · Miro · Mural · Slack · Discord
Project managementNotion · Trello · Asana · ClickUp · monday.com

Let's design learning that fits your people.

bln.cotaa@gmail.comLinkedIn