A diverse group of companies is a great advantage, however, don't confuse process with content. The more diverse you are, the more likely you are to have loud and sometimes obnoxious debates. This is good. It means that all the folks have passion and a pulse. Roseanne than they are like the Cleavers in Leave It to Beaver.
Real teams fight to make their point, yet they still have respect for each other.
I am not a big fan of online text-based conferencing. I've tried a number of variations to it, and each time the effectiveness scores have stunk big time. Nothing beats people sitting down and talking with each other. Your corporate problems are much bigger than brainstorming. Everything can be made to work if there is adequate leadership and responsibility.