2014 Game Changer: Luca Bonmassar

Talent doesn’t have to come with a diploma, and Luca Bonmassar is more than aware of how college degrees aren’t a golden ticket to success. In his spare time, Bonmassar, 32, built Gild Source, the talent acquisition software that would become the flagship product of Gild Inc. The program prioritizes proven skill over academic credentials — a practical way to hire in the technical sector because so many top-notch coders are self-taught.

Using his product, Bonmassar has recruited his own team of self-trained developers for the company and continues to instill a sense of merit over pedigree by encouraging individualism and motivating his team with nonfinancial incentives such as Friday parties called “beer o’clock” and quarterly trips to ropes courses and baseball games.

“Luca and his team aren’t just changing the hiring process — they are fixing it,” wrote Gild co-founder and CEO Sheeroy Desai. “He has truly changed the ‘game’ of recruiting for the better.”