(Contributed by Claire Hansen, Capital Factory Accelerator)

Well friends, I’m back in Austin and boy oh boy, am I looking forward to seeing what Santa’s little helpers have in store for my stocking this year (do you think a bike will fit down the chimney?). Aside from cooking up some pretty sweet stocking surprises, elves are actually pretty good at cooking up meals too—go figure!

In Austin, you can now order up an Elf to come into your kitchen to prepare delicious, healthy meals for your family for the entire week. Capital Factory Accelerator company Dinner Elf is the most convenient way to eat well. They’ll send a trusted cook (“elf”) into your home to prepare affordable dinners from a wide menu. And the best part is that you don’t even have to be home while they’re there.

Meet Nicole Vickey, Dinner Elf cofounder.  She and her cofounder/husband, JesseVickey, set out to build a better way for busy families to eat well.  In their own family of four, they experienced the challenge to consistently prepare healthy foods amidst the demands of work and raising kids.

With their plates already pretty full, the Dinner Elf duo chose the Capital Factory Accelerator because it isn’t a tightly structured, short-term immersive experience–instead, you get to choose when and how to take advantage of the benefits. Nicole also pointed out that our program delivers long-term access to Mentors and investors whose relationships with Dinner Elf can grow alongside the company.

Check out the clip below and then we’ll dive even further into the Dinner Elf deets!

Why did you choose Austin as the home for your company?

I’ve had the experience of starting a company in a place where there was not much of an entrepreneurial community. I chose Austin because of places like Capital Factory, where you can run the start up race in a space sparking with the energy and doggedness of fellow entrepreneurs.

What is your favorite part of being a part of the Capital Factory community?

I’ve found the Capital Factory community to be incredibly giving of both time, resources and expertise. I’ve come out of many office hours quite humbled by the willingness of the Mentors to really dig in and help us improve our company. We’re growing so much better with the input of these great minds.

What is the most exciting thing Dinner Elf is doing right now?

We created this company to help the average busy family, but I find myself really driven by the way Dinner Elf is helping families who are facing big challenges.

We’ve had the privilege of cooking for people recovering from surgeries, parents tending to sick children or newborn babies, and families grieving the losses of loved ones. Our cooks light up knowing the dinners they create are the definition of comfort food for these customers.

Tell us more about your cofounders. When and how did you meet?

My co-founder, Jesse Vickey, and I are husband and wife. We met in 1996 as undergrads at Duke. Over the past fifteen years of marriage we’ve created two companies and two kids. When our kids were really little, work was the only place we got to finish sentences. I’m grateful to have his brain behind Dinner Elf.

With Dinner Elf on the path to dinner domination, you too can begin to optimize your time and health. And let’s be honest, with such a delightful cofounder you know the food will be pretty damn delightful too.

Or better yet, because we all know that gifts (especially food) are better given that received, you can give Dinner Elf to anyone you know who could use a break from making dinner. It’s super simple, just visit the website and let an elf take care of a loved one this holiday season!