Craig Gerber (creator)

Gerber has been praised for creating shows that deal with blended families, breaking gender stereotypes, difficulty fitting into society, and representation of Latin culture.

[citation needed] Gerber was approached by Nancy Kanter, a writer at Disney Junior, who asked him for an idea for a children's show revolving around a princess during her childhood.

Gerber stated in an article, “In a world where many young girls want to dress up as princesses, Sofia could serve as a positive role model, displaying traits and learning lessons that young girls (or boys) will retain long after they trade in their gowns for other costumes.”[1] Gerber wanted to make Princess Sofia a positive character.

There’s also a message for both boys and girls, saying you can do anything you set your mind to if you keep trying and don’t give up because life is an adventure.”[4] He also wanted to demonstrate the character's flaws, showing that she could make mistakes when dealing with issues of sibling rivalry, sharing, or trying a new thing.

With a heavy focus on exploring Latin and Hispanic culture, magic, mythology, folklore, music, food, and customs, following his success with Sofia the First, Gerber went on to create Elena of Avalor in June 2016.

The idea for us was that we wanted Avalor to be more broadly accessible.”[citation needed] Firebuds is the first series to debut under Gerber's development deal with Disney Branded Television, which premiered on September 21, 2022.

[7] Firebuds is set in a fantastical world where people and anthropomorphic vehicles live in parallel, centering around a boy and this firetruck that aspire to become full-fledged firefighters at one point.

Marjorie Galas of Variety 411 praises his view on Princess Sofia's home life in Sofia the First, stating “A child of divorce himself, Gerber knew the blended family life and the adaptation to new surroundings and routines was relatable to a vast majority of the population, and the lessons that come from adaptation were bountiful.”[9] A native of Miami, Gerber currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three sons.