This study provides insight into the role of expertise in the process of team creativity. Existing process models, that is, the random variation model and the creative synthesis model, either fail to treat team as an independent creative entity or neglect the differentiation in the voice of individual members in team creative process. In contrast, this study recognizes the role of expertise in shaping the process of team creativity and presents an alternative model, the vital few model (experts as "vital few"). An agent-based simulation was designed to examine the validity of this model. Agent teams generated team creativity both more efficiently and effectively when expertise was employed to reorganize existing knowledge and integrate new knowledge. The results indicate that the vital few model is a more explanatory model compared to the existing models for the process of team creativity. Discussion focuses on contributions of the vital few model, limitations of this study, as well as directions for future research.