Our Team
Meet the team behind A Better Meal.
We’re on a mission to help people eat well with less stress. We mix a love of food, a belief in technology’s potential, and a passion for excellence to make home cooking simpler for real cooks, in real life.
Mark Semmelbeck
Founder / CEO
Mark studied Engineering at Texas A&M University and spent 13 years as a consultant in the energy industry. He went on to be a partner in various private oil and gas companies for 20 years. In 2020, he launched A Better Meal to help busy families reduce the stress of preparing healthy meals.
Foodie Credentials
What is your favorite food?
Barbecue
What is your favorite hobby?
Snow skiing and fly fishing
What is your favorite beverage?
Old Fashioned
What is your favorite dessert?
Chocolate cream pie
What is your favorite vegetable?
Green beans
Efrain Coello
Software Engineer
Efrain is a Computer Science Engineer, Full Stack Developer, and AWS Architect whose purpose and lifestyle are rooted in the KAIZEN philosophy of continuous improvement. He’s passionate about TDD, serverless technologies, clean code, and strong software development practices. Efrain actively seeks out challenging projects that help him grow and expand his skills.
Foodie Credentials
Encebollado
What is your favorite hobby?
Gym
What is your favorite beverage?
Green tea
What is your favorite dessert?
Cheesecake
What is your favorite vegetable?
Carrots
Ross McClain
Product Owner/Creative Direction
Ross is a human-centered designer, product owner, and professor who blends fine art, strategy, and creative thinking. He leads with empathy, delivers with clarity, and builds with curiosity—whether guiding students or shaping user experience at a better meal. He founded SWYD 247 (Sleep When You’re Dead), a creative practice for relentlessly visionary people who think, make, and lead like artists.
Foodie Credentials
Salad loaded with protein and fresh greens
What is your favorite hobby?
Surfing and learning
What is your favorite beverage?
Coffee, water, or an Ale8 zero
What is your favorite dessert?
Key Lime Pie
What is your favorite vegetable?
Broccoli
Carmen Dozier
Quality Assurance Engineer
For 7 years, Atlanta native and family woman Carmen Dozier has served as a Quality Assurance Engineer to ensure that various applications meet design and user standards. With the A Better Meal family, she strives to ensure that our customers receive the most delightful interaction with our fresh approach to personalized meal planning. She finds the most joy creating moments with her loved ones, exploring nature’s beauty, and engaging works of her favorite artists.
Foodie Credentials
Mexican food
What is your favorite hobby?
Outdoor activities, concerts, and traveling
What is your favorite beverage?
Margaritas
What is your favorite dessert?
Caramel cake
What is your favorite vegetable?
Collard greens
Susan Tormollen
Chief Marketing Officer
Susan is an experienced startup leader with two decades in tech, helping innovative companies turn big ideas into sustainable growth. As Chief Marketing Officer of A Better Meal, she is focused on expanding its reach—helping busy families simplify healthy eating and build confidence in the kitchen, a mission that resonates with her passion for balance, wellness, and sharing great food with others.
Foodie Credentials
Mini wontons (frozen) in broth
What is your favorite hobby?
Yoga, travel and combining the two!
What is your favorite beverage?
Hot cocoa - AM, champagne - PM
What is your favorite dessert?
Profiteroles
What is your favorite vegetable?
Baby turnips sauteed in butter
Arnold Drita
Technical Lead
Arnold discovered his passion for computer science at a young age. He has represented Albania in international competitions and mentored its first Olympiad medalists. He co-founded Softmogul, a successful fintech startup, and has experience leading teams and building systems across multiple programming languages and frameworks.
Sarah Thomason
Partnership & Social Director
With a degree in Finance, she spent eight years in banking as a credit analyst and lending officer before transitioning into social selling after moving to Colorado. There, she built two successful online businesses and discovered a passion for digital marketing. Now back in Houston with her husband and three kids, she brings over eight years of experience in branding, photography, and content creation to support A Better Meal’s growth.
Foodie Credentials
Spaghetti Bolognese
What is your favorite hobby?
Running / Photography
What is your favorite beverage?
Diet Coke & Wine Enthusiast
What is your favorite dessert?
Mom's Strawberry Cake
What is your favorite vegetable?
Green beans
Whitney Fields
PR and Media Relations
Whitney is a public relations and media strategist with 15+ years of experience helping brands and individuals share their stories in an authentic, meaningful way. She specializes in media placements, content creation, and increasing visibility for clients, working across industries from lifestyle to social impact, health and wellness, and tech.
Foodie Credentials
French fries
What is your favorite hobby?
Concerts or musical theater shows
What is your favorite beverage?
An icy McDonald's Coke!
What is your favorite dessert?
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup (cold!)
What is your favorite vegetable?
Cucumbers
Tani Eschberger
Nutrition Content Manager
Tani believes that good food is at the heart of wellness—something she’s learned firsthand through her own health journey, her time as a nanny to her nephew, and while earning a degree in Nutritional Sciences at Texas A&M. She now combines her love of nutrition, animals, and helping others through her work as a vet tech and meal planner. In her free time, she enjoys the Austin outdoors with her friends and dogs.
Foodie Credentials
Sushi
What is your favorite hobby?
Parks or Rooftop Patios
What is your favorite beverage?
Black tea with milk and honey
What is your favorite dessert?
My husband's blondie bars
What is your favorite vegetable?
Beets!
Karen Crenshaw
Marketing and Content Development
Karen is an experienced brand, marketing, and content strategist who keeps a clear focus on customer needs and motivations. From messaging and blog content to in-app experiences, she crafts strategies that fuel effective marketing campaigns, build loyalty, and inspire brand advocacy. She holds an MBA in Marketing and International Business from Columbia University.
Foodie Credentials
Homemade bread
What is your favorite hobby?
Weaving and gardening
What is your favorite beverage?
Iced Tea
What is your favorite dessert?
Tres Leches Cake
What is your favorite vegetable?
Tomatoes