Betsy Z. Cohen is the Founder and Strategic Advisor of The Bancorp, an online commercial bank.  Prior to founding Bancorp, Ms. Cohen formed RAIT Financial Trust, a $10 billion real estate investment trust, she founded Jefferson Bank (Pennsylvania) and Jefferson Bank New Jersey, served as Chairman and CEO of State National Bank (Maryland), and was a Director of First Union Bank (Virginia).

Ms. Cohen was educated at Bryn Mawr College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.  She became the second female law professor on the East Coast, teaching at Rutgers University Law School.  Before age 30, Ms. Cohen had founded a shipping business in Hong Kong, a leasing company in Brazil, a joint venture with a bank in Spain, and co-founded a Philadelphia law firm that specialized in representing financial institutions and industry clients in complex real estate and financial matters.
Ms. Cohen serves in various capacities on the boards of the Asia Society and the Asia Society Policy Institute, The Brookings Institute, Jewish Theological Seminary, and the Metropolitan Opera.  She is also a Director for Aetna, Inc.

Ms. Cohen has received awards from numerous business organizations and publications, including the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Drexel University, and National Foundation for Women Business Owners.  She is a past recipient of the Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Awards (from DirectWomen), and the Elizabeth Dole Glass Ceiling Award (Southeastern Pennsylvania American Red Cross).