Total BadSaaS Awards 2026

Our Total BadSaaS Awards celebrate the people who build, support, challenge and quietly improve Wellington’s SaaS community. From bold AI experimentation and practical founder advice to values-led leadership and the unglamorous work that keeps a business moving, these are the people making a real difference.

The Full Stack Salesperson Award
Eleanor Barnes, Sales Leader, DataTorque

Eleanor went from AI hesitant to a formidable Claude Max-plan user in a matter of months. She began by reshaping sales processes and tooling, then pushed into product functionality. As one of DataTorque’s leading AI users, she joined a small engineering team rebuilding the organisation’s product into an AI-first stack. Her impact across both sales and engineering makes her a genuine dual-class contributor.

Most AI Obsessive Not Named JD Trask
Ben Gleisner, CEO & Founder, Cogo

Ben is pushing hard at the edge of what AI can do for sales. His wild setup includes six agents working overnight, enabling levels of client and lead engagement that would once have seemed unthinkable. Despite being a non-engineer, he is deep into the practical constraints of Claude sandboxing and is proving what curiosity, drive and a willingness to learn can unlock.

The Total Addressable Good Award
Erika Butters, Founder, Volition

Erika is using SaaS to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Through Volition, she is building a platform that supports disabled people to have self-determination and be the decision-makers in their own lives. She leads with her values, brings serious startup capability to market, and gives a huge amount of time and energy back to the Wellington SaaS community.

The “No, We’re Not Getting X Because We Already Have a Perfectly Good Y at Home” Award for Services to First-Time Founders
Cara Graham, COO, Dot Loves Data

Cara is recognised for bringing experienced SaaS-operator judgement to a team of first-time founders. When every piece of customer feedback threatens to trigger an emergency product pivot, Cara is the calm voice that helps the team separate signal from noise and avoid building a new feature just because someone at the park said they liked it.

The Perpetual Free Tier Award for Services to the Wellington SaaS Community
Troy Hammond, Founder, Talent Army

Troy runs a business many SaaS companies rely on to find the right people, but his contribution reaches well beyond recruitment. He is a generous adviser to founders, supports a multitude of SaaS businesses, and brings the community together through the Startup Theatre Podcast. He has also backed KiwiSaaS in the most meaningful way: with a sizeable contribution and no expectation of anything in return, simply a love letter to the community. We agonised about recognising someone who is both a service provider and a sponsor of KiwiSaaS. But ultimately, his body of work speaks for itself. We love Troy, and all he does for our community.

The “No Action Required” Award
Jessica Matthewson, COO, Storbie

Jessica does the essential work that often goes unnoticed because everything just keeps running. When Storbie was without a dedicated salesperson, she stepped in and kept sales moving alongside the rest of her role. She also took on the support requests, bots, hold music and complicated conversations that no one else could face so the rest of the team could keep doing their work. It is a fitting reflection of the invisible, patient work she does every day.

Congratulations to all of our winners and thank you for the energy, expertise, generosity and good judgement you bring to the KiwiSaaS community.