Leslie Manookian, Representative Rob Beiswenger and Miste Karlfeldt

BIOGRAPHIES

Leslie Manookian

Leslie Manookian, MBA, M.L.C. Hom is president and founder of Health Freedom Defense Fund. She is a former successful Wall Street business executive. Her career in finance took her from New York to London with Goldman Sachs. She later became Director of Alliance Capital in London running their European Growth Portfolio Management and Research businesses.

Leslie is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker. In 2011 she released The Greater Good to rave reviews and awards; a documentary she wrote and produced, which explores the debate surrounding vaccines. This impactful film brings increased awareness to this issue and the importance of health freedom.

Protecting Americans’ medical and health freedoms inspired Leslie to found Health Freedom Defense Fund. After observing the trampling of our constitutionally protected, inalienable rights for the past two decades, she was filled with trepidation as 2020 unfolded, aware of various pieces of legislation in place which would facilitate further erosion of the rights of Americans. HFDF was the result.

Leslie’s and HFDF’s mission rests on the foundational principle that bodily autonomy is the most sacred and precious of human rights and must be fervently guarded. Leslie and HFDF endeavour each and every day to instil that notion in the public consciousness and codify it in law.

Representative Rob Beiswenger

Born and raised in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania; graduate of Penn State University, political science; former director of the Indiana Right to Work Committee; co-founder of Collaborative Behaviour Solutions, a facility that helps kids with autism and developmental disabilities (Indianapolis); was elected as a Republican Member to the Idaho House of Representatives in November 2024; resides in Horseshoe Bend; spouse: Crystal, who homeschools their two daughters Samantha and Celeste.

Miste Karlfeldt

Miste Karlfeldt is founder and Co-Executive Director of Health Freedom Idaho. She is a small business owner, wife of Dr. Michael Karlfeldt, mother of four, and daughter of our Lord.

10 years ago she was desperately seeking relief from her peripheral neuropathy pain that was taking over her body, leaving her bedridden with pain. After diagnosis, told she had 7-10 years to live, and being prescribed 3 years of chemotherapy by the Mayo Clinic she sought a second opinion from a Naturopathic Dr. Michael Karlfeldt. Just as she was seeing an amazing recovery without toxic chemotherapy, Idaho law makers were considering legislation to limit access to the natural medicine that was saving her life.

After being raised in the world of pharmaceuticals she was amazed by the real healing that was taking place with natural modalities and worked hard against the threatening legislation. During that time she made important connections to health freedom powerhouses Sarah Clendenon, Leslie Manookian, and Dr. Rosie Main who established Health Freedom Idaho as a nonprofit in 2016.

Together, they have made Idaho the most free state in the nation by strengthening Idaho’s vaccination exemptions, restricting the health districts and passing Idaho’s Medical Freedom Act.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Here are two substacks by Leslie Manookian that express what has and is happening in Idaho, as Idaho (with these guests she is including to join her) has made history.

Idaho Leads the Nation with Landmark Medical Freedom Legislation: https://open.substack.com/pub/lesliemanookian/p/idaho-leads-the-nation-with-landmark?r=1ntd89&utm_medium=ios

Policy Imperatives for Health Freedom: https://open.substack.com/pub/brownstone/p/policy-imperatives-for-health-freedom?r=1ntd89&utm_medium=ios

Additionally, Eight U.S. States may expand vaccine exemptions in 2025 and Idaho became the first state to ban medical intervention mandates, empowering parents and employees to refuse vaccines without penalty: https://open.substack.com/pub/lionessofjudah/p/braking-eight-us-states-may-expand?r=1ntd89&utm_medium=ios.