POT was established in 2017 by Mandy Kolahi, a first-generation Iranian woman born and raised in Los Angeles. With Los Angeles being the largest diaspora for Iranians outside of Iran, she has always been inspired to celebrate all the cultures that make up Los Angeles. Growing up in an immigrant community, she found that access and encouragement to arts are not always present in communities focused on survival, thus leaving many adults feeling unwelcome when trying new hobbies they never had access to in their youth. A hobby potter since high school, she recognized that most pottery spaces felt unwelcoming due to a lack of diversity and gatekeeping in the industry. As a middle eastern woman from a Muslim community who grew up during the post-9/11 era, she also experienced unique intersections of race and oppression and how they affect many in America. All of this inspired POT, a community studio focused on accessibility and pleasure for persons of color and adult beginners. POT has since developed organically to 2 locations to include the youth in our programming as they have been a great source of inspiration and hope. We also offer intermediate and advanced level classes to accommodate our community of students who have been learning with us for 5+ years.