Dantes Partners

Exercise instructor

Rise up to the top. Here we go.

Buwa Binitie

Founder and CEO
Dantes Partners

As far as representation in real estate development, you're gonna have to look extremely hard to find others that look like me.

I am originally from Nigeria. I got into real estate primarily because I realized very quickly that even though I made good money, I could not find a place to live in the city. And that really bothered me.

I founded Dantes Partners in 2006 to build housing for the working-class families.

With affordable housing, a whole host of people have come together to say, "We're gonna deliberately make your rent cheaper than what it cost to build." You need partners like the federal government, your local government, your lenders, your equity investors.

Wells Fargo has done 20 developments with us. The team at Wells Fargo, they've been great sounding boards for me.

Autumn Leatham

Senior Relationship Manager
Community Lending & Investments
Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking

Once we finish the traditional financing, we also work with Buwa and Dantes all the way through construction.

For Wells Fargo, affordable housing is a top priority.

Vanessa Rodriguez

Head of Community Lending & Investment
Wells Fargo Corporate & Investment Banking

We've been a leader in the space for decades upon decades. It’s a nationwide business - we’re in all major markets.

Back to Buwa

What me and my company are about is not just contributing to the skyline of the District of Columbia, but also changing and improving the communities in which we’re building.

With every single project that we develop, we ask what Black and Brown firms can we hire? And we've been able to identify design firms, landscaping firms, construction firms, title companies and a host of other firms to be part of our projects.

Over the course of the last three years, we've invested over $60 million in black and brown firms.

I got to be where I am because someone took my phone call to drop some wisdom on how the game is played. I see that as my second act -- to educate folks about not just real estate, but how you go about building wealth for you and your family and the community that you serve.

End card

Wells Fargo invested a record $7.6 billion in affordable housing in 2021.