FOUNDER, PRINCIPAL

Dustin Whistler

Dustin Whistler is principal at Forte Commercial Real Estate, a Denver-based commercial real estate firm. Forte works on the company- or organization-side of real estate transactions. The company is also sector focused, working deeply and strategically in industries such as Life Sciences, Community Real Estate (including nonprofit, social enterprise and creative industry), Manufacturing and Outdoor & Apparel.

As his firm began growing its community real estate practice, Dustin evolved the firm to be much more of a social enterprise – doing business in the community, giving across every transaction the company handles to a nonprofit in the community, and having every employee be meaningfully engaged in a community board or committee. “We want to be community members more than service providers.”

Dustin has lived in Denver since 1976. He is a graduate of Cherry Creek High School, and the University of Colorado, Boulder. Ever engaged in the community, at CU he helped start the CU Row Crew, ran the CoURAGE program (a campus and community outreach organization), participated in student government, and volunteered for the Big Brother program.

Prior to founding Forte Commercial Real Estate in 2008, Dustin worked for Fuller Real Estate, CBRE, SBA of Denver (a cellular site development consultant), J.D. Edwards, and was the Field Director for a Colorado Attorney General campaign. Today, Dustin is involved in several community organizations, including the Colorado BioScience Association, Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, Phamaly Theatre Company and is a member of Leadership Denver’s class of 2017.

Dustin is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and member of the Shawnee Tribe (formerly Loyal Shawnee). He makes Denver home with his wife Tamra, two sons, one daughter and a four-legged daughter, Talulah.