Keith Allen Raniere is an American cult leader who was convicted of a pattern of racketeering activity, including human trafficking, sex offenses, and fraud. He co-founded NXIVM, a purported self-help multi-level marketing company offering personal development seminars and headquartered in Albany, New York. Operating from 1998 to 2018, NXIVM had seven hundred members at its height, including celebrities and the wealthy. Within NXIVM, Raniere was referred to as "Vanguard".