Entrepreneur Layla Hashim feels such a connection with clay that she moved to Stoke-on-Trent to live in the spiritual home of the pottery industry.

“I moved to Stoke-on-Trent because of pottery,” she said. “I’m from Liverpool and I was in Birmingham before moving here. In contrast Stoke-on-Trent has such a real sense of community and so many pockets of creativity.”

The 42-year-old is the founder of Box O Fun Ltd, a multi-stranded business that began with Layla teaching pottery techniques remotely during the pandemic and now sees her working to improve processes within the ceramics industry.

Current projects include Layla working with Innovate UK and a data scientist to build a machine learning model.

She also creates geometric forms using CAD software and algorithms as part of the design process.

Another recent project saw Layla working with a Staffordshire University engineering student to create modelling tools using less material as part of a wider concept of bringing tool making back to Stoke-on-Trent.

She is also working on developing ceramic glazes for use in healthcare settings using nano-materials.

Layla is not traditionally trained in pottery but developed a passion for ceramics and its various processes after starting to handmake pottery as a hobby.

She said: “I started off with pottery as something to get me out of the house and being creative. I learnt very quickly and really got into the material science side of things.

“There was a point where I was thinking of doing a research degree even though I didn’t have an undergraduate degree. That’s how far my interest and research had progressed.”

Layla was part of the first cohort of the Peter Coates MSc in Entrepreneurship. She has entered the Innovation Award and Alumni Business Person of the Year categories of the Staffordshire University Business Awards.