Barbara Ann Corcoran

 Barbara Ann Corcoran (born March 10, 1949) is an American businesswoman investor speaking, consultant writer, syndicated columnist, television host, and author. In 2001, she established The Corcoran Group in New York City. She later sold the business to NRT for $66 millions. In the following months she left the business. One of the show's original "Shark" investors, Corcoran has appeared in all 12 seasons of ABC's Shark Tank to date. In February of 2020, she had closed 53 deals. The most significant of these was a purchase of $350,000 for Coverplay at 40%. Corcoran was born in Edgewater (New Jersey) as the second child of ten from a working-class Irish Catholic family. Florence Corcoran's mom, was a homemaker. Edwin W. Corcoran Jr. her father was a skilled worker throughout Corcoran's childhood. In times, her family relied on the delivery of food for free from a local grocer. Corcoran recalls her father being an alcohol-dependent drunkard who often treated her mother with contempt and disrespect, especially when he had been drinking. Corcoran struggled at school and discovered later she was dyslexic. Corcoran attended an Catholic elementary school, and later began high school in Englewood at St. Cecilia High School. Corcoran graduated from Leonia High School with a degree in English after having failed several classes during her first year.