Barbara Ann Corcoran

 Barbara Ann Corcoran, born March 10, 1949 is an American businesswoman and investor. She is also a speaker and consultant, a columnist syndicated, speaker writer, author and television personality. She was the founder of The Corcoran Group, a real estate brokerage in New York City, which she sold to NRT for $66 million in 2001 and shortly thereafter , the company was sold. Corcoran was a participant in 12 of ABC's Shark Tank seasons. Corcoran has been involved in 53 deals as of February 2020. The largest was a $350,000 purchase to pay for 40 percent of Coverplay. Corcoran was born in Edgewater (New Jersey) as the second of ten children from a working-class Irish Catholic family. [8] Her mother, Florence, was a household worker. Edwin W. Corcoran Jr. became her father throughout Corcoran’s childhood. Her family depended sometimes on food deliveries from an artisanal local grocery store for free food. Corcoran recalls her father, one who would drink excessively, and behaved towards her mother with disrespect and condescendingly, particularly after he'd consumed some drinks. Corcoran struggled through her schooling before discovering that she had dyslexia. Corcoran began the high school system in St. Cecilia High School Englewood, after she left her Catholic elementary school. After failing several classes during her first year, Corcoran transferred to Leonia High School and received a grade of D.