Barbara Ann Corcoran

 Barbara Ann Corcoran (born March 10 1949) is an American businesswoman investor and speaker. She is also a consultant, speaker and syndicated columnist. She is also an author, and television personality. The Corcoran Group, an NY-based real estate broker was started by Corcoran. NRT bought it in 2001 for $66 million. Corcoran then left the business. Corcoran was one of the first Shark Tank investors. She was a regular on every episode of ABC's Shark Tank. As of February 2020, she has made 53 deals for the show, the largest one being $350,000 for 40% of Coverplay. Corcoran was born in Edgewater, New Jersey, the second of 10 children from a working class Irish Catholic family.  Her mother, Florence, was a homemaker. Edwin W. Corcoran Jr. was her father. He was constantly moving between jobs and another throughout Corcoran's youth. At times, the family depended on food delivery for free from a nearby grocery store. Corcoran remembers her father as a man who often consumed too much alcohol and did her mother a disservice and condescension, particularly after he'd consumed alcohol. Corcoran struggled with her education and was later diagnosed with dyslexia. Corcoran entered in high school at St. Cecilia High School Englewood after attending a Catholic primary school. Corcoran graduated from Leonia High School with a diploma in English, despite failing several courses during her freshman years.