Justin Yalung, 38 / Chief Operating Officer, Inorganic Ventures
Justin Yalung
After previous senior financial roles in the bioscience industry, Justin Yalung joined Inorganic Ventures in 2017 as Vice President, Finance, and is now the company’s Chief Operating Officer. He was a 2014 Virginia Young Professional Summit panelist, hosted by Senator Mark R. Warner; an investor representative for the Blacksburg Partnership for five years; on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee for Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council; on the Board of Directors, Legislative & Governance Committees for the Virginia Tech Alumni Association (2014-20); and is on the Board of Directors, Governance Committee for Onward NRV. He also successfully launched the “Blacksburg Young Professionals” organization and is an active advocate of the New River Land Trust. “My civic passion is economic development, and by definition, it focuses on improving the quality of life within the community,” Yalung says. “These experiences have helped grow me into being one of the biggest cheerleaders for our region, and I’m excited to continue to help open industry opportunities ahead of us in a way that builds on all the things we love about this area.”
- bioMérieux bioSTAR Award recipient as organization’s top performer, 2011
- IBM Eminence & Excellence Award recipient as organization’s top performer, 2010
- Serves on the Board of Directors, Governance Committee for Onward NRV
- Served on the Board of Directors, Legislative & Governance Committees for the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, 2014-2020
- Served on the Board of Directors, Executive Committee for Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, 3 years as Treasurer
- Served as Investor Representative for the Blacksburg Partnership for 5 years
From the Nomination: “My nominee, Justin Yalung, embodies everything that The Roanoker 40 Under 40 Awards were designed to do. To honor dynamic young professionals who work tirelessly to affect positive change and enhance the community … Yalung brings a unique skillset to Inorganic Ventures. While his professional roots began in finance, he’s had the fortune of working across many industries including energy, software, biotechnology, and now chemistry. Yalung loves serving people, so it’s incredibly fulfilling for him to help make the world safer. … IV has operated as a family business for 35 years. As is often the case in family businesses, some of the processes were not as efficient as they could be. … What makes Yalung unique is that he has had an unexpectedly broad, global perspective of learning from the largest multinational corporations, across some of the most important industries of their ages… He’s been part of the important biotech world in the development of instruments, reagents, and diagnostics in the fight against infectious disease ... And today he is trying to make a huge difference in our industry, for our people at IV, and our regional community at the same time. Yalung positions himself to constantly push for good change so that each pursuit has a bigger impact than the last one. While Yalung is constantly devoting his energy towards making a difference in our business, he’s always striving to build the culture of our company to one that is highly sought after for employment. As one of the eight members on our leadership team, Yalung is pushing us to be transformational, not transactional. He fosters an environment of opportunity, development and communication. IV has been a company founded on a passion for science, helping people, and caring about each other. Yalung’s guidance and leadership has intentionally built a collaborative culture focusing on the value and significance of every individual, relationships across departments, and the important work we do for our customers. He does this through a relentless pursuit to be better in all phases, whether it be in his transparency and communication with others or by challenging our processes so that we can be more efficient and provide more time to think, collaborate and innovate.”
What do you love about Roanoke?
Yalung: “Coming from an upbringing in Hampton Roads, I love how Roanoke and the surrounding region projects a culture and industry that’s distinctly different from the other corners of the Commonwealth. I’m enamored by the area’s history in railroad, transition to manufacturing, and its newer strength in healthcare for all of southwest Virginia. Today, my family and I benefit from all of Roanoke’s livability amenities from restaurants and museums as well as the natural beauty of the Explore Park, Carvins Cove and the nearby parkway. Roanoke has something for everyone, and I believe its growth potential is bright.”
How does your passion impact our community?
Yalung: “My civic passion is economic development, and by definition, it focuses on improving the quality of life within the community. Over the past decade I’ve had the fortune of volunteering my time and perspective on boards of economic development organizations spanning both the Roanoke and New River Valleys. These experiences have helped grow me into being one of the biggest cheerleaders for our region, and I’m excited to continue to help open industry opportunities ahead of us in a way that builds on all the things we love about this area.”