Sarah Shrader

Sarah Shrader
Owner and Co-Founder, Bonsai Design

Sarah Shrader is the Owner and Co-Founder of Bonsai Design, a world-class aerial adventure course design/build firm based in Grand Junction, Colorado. Sarah’s attention to detail and profitability has facilitated Bonsai’s exponential growth since its inception in 2005, helping to position Bonsai as an industry leader in sustainable outdoor aerial adventure. From treetop canopy tours to 3000-foot ziplines, Bonsai pushes the edges of the industry with their innovative installations that captivate hundreds of thousands of participants who experience their courses each year.

Sarah is the founder and president of the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of the Grand Valley (ORC), a group of businesses and organizations committed to economic development in the outdoor recreation industry in Western Colorado. She also serves on the executive committee of the State of Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office and the Board of Directors for Colorado Public Radio. Sarah served for eight years- including two as President- of the School District 51 Foundation Board advocating for K-12 education funding on the western slope. Additionally, she co-chaired the successful 2021 campaign to build a new $120M Grand Junction High School. She was also a Colorado Governor’s Fellow in 2018-2019. Most recently, Sarah designed and developed the Outdoor Recreation Industry Studies Bachelor of Science degree at Colorado Mesa University, where she serves as Program Director and Faculty.

Sarah and her husband and business partner, Thaddeus, are the designers and anchor tenants of Riverfront at Las Colonias on the Colorado River in downtown Grand Junction. This park targets the emergent trend of a workforce that seeks and prioritizes a healthy balance between work, life, and play. In her free time, Sarah can be found running on western slope trails, climbing Colorado’s mountains, and skiing with her husband and their three grown sons.