Marie-Paule Niat

Marie-Paule Niat

Marie-Paule Niat is the Co-Founder and CEO of VATIS Travel Industry Services, the first independent travel agency network in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). Under her leadership, VATIS has expanded strategic operations across Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, the Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea. Through tourism, real estate, and agribusiness, she has pioneered regional integration and used these industries as levers for empowerment and economic transformation.

An influential business leader, mentor, and impact strategist based in Cameroon, Marie-Paule champions holistic empowerment, purpose-driven leadership, and accessible mentoring platforms for women, youth, and underserved communities.

Her leadership in mentoring and motivation spans decades and is grounded in real-world impact. She has designed and led high-impact initiatives such as structured coaching programs that equip young entrepreneurs and professionals with leadership skills, confidence, and sustainable business strategies. She is also building a continent-wide motivational speaking and peer mentoring platform that focuses on unlocking the leadership potential of African women through storytelling, mindset work, and strategic training. Furthermore, she champions grassroots mentoring hubs that provide business education, digital literacy, and access to capital for rural female entrepreneurs.

Her work as a mentor has directly helped young entrepreneurs secure funding and achieve recognition. She has guided mentees to win up to $500,000 in cash prizes through the Bank of Africa Entrepreneurship Contest and coached women to success in entrepreneurship competitions in Cameroon, while also empowering them in personal growth and leadership transformation.

Her legacy of service includes co-founding the Cameroon Chapter of the African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), where she served as Vice President until 2023. Through this platform, she mentored rural women via cooperative structures and financial literacy initiatives, enabling them to build sustainable livelihoods and uplift entire communities. She is also a founding contributor to SAVE (Supporting African Vulnerable Entrepreneurs), an impact investment fund designed to unlock access to capital for women and youth-led enterprises in fragile economic ecosystems.

Marie-Paule currently serves on the boards of several civic and professional organizations and as an administrator of an agricultural cooperative with more than 300 farmer-members. Her international roles include serving as Cameroon Senator to the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF), a G20-affiliated organization advancing global financial inclusion. Until recently, she also contributed as an Advisory Board Member of the G100 Farming, Agritourism & Agritech Wing.

A passionate speaker, she continues to deliver motivational keynotes and mentoring sessions that challenge limitations and spark breakthroughs, particularly among Africa’s emerging leaders.

Marie-Paule holds an MBA from the Olin Business School at Babson College (USA) and an Honorary Doctorate from Jharkhand Rai University (India), awarded in recognition of her outstanding contributions to agricultural development and women’s empowerment.