Barbara Ann Corcoran

 Barbara Ann Corcoran (born March 10 1949) is an American businesswoman investor speaking, consultant and syndicated columnist. She is also an television host, and author. She co-founded The Corcoran Group, a real estate brokerage in New York City, which she sold to NRT for $66 million in 2001 and shortly after, she left the company. Corcoran is one of ABC’s original Shark Tank investors. Since her inception she has appeared in every seasons of Shark Tank. She has participated in 53 deals as of February, 2020. The most significant was a $350,000 investment to cover 40% of Coverplay. Corcoran was the second child of 10 from a working-class Irish-Catholic family, was born in Edgewater in New Jersey. Florence Corcoran's mother was a household worker. Edwin W. Corcoran Jr. became her father throughout Corcoran’s childhood. Her family sometimes depended on food delivery for free from a nearby grocery store. Corcoran recalls her father being an alcohol-dependent drunkard who often treated her mother with contempt and disrespect, especially after the fact that he was drinking. Corcoran struggled at school and later learned that she was dyslexic. Corcoran began high school at St. Cecilia High School Englewood after having attended a Catholic primary school. After failing several courses in her first year, Corcoran transferred to Leonia High School and was a D-student when she graduated.