Sadly I have had great results but in the end have made a conscious decision to avoid benzos, simply too alluring. Thanks for the advice though, definitely a game changer.
Luckily for me the anxiety is only high just before the high pressure meeting, and I don't have a lot of those (I'm not a founder, just a mere corporate cog), so there's no risk of becoming dependent. A psychiatrist I saw recommended xanax + beta-blocker as a transition tool which will help me gain confidence in these high-stress situations, which should eventually lead to decreased anxiety.