e.l.f. Beauty and Parity Release “Girls Who Play Change the Game”, Connecting Girls' Sports Participation to Long-Term Workplace Impact

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 31, 2026--

e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) and Parity today released a first-of-its-kind research report revealing a powerful, data-backed link between girls' sports participation and women’s workplace performance. The study draws on more than 9,500 respondents across the United States, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom, making it one of the largest and broadest studies of its kind. The findings are clear and consistent: women who played sports in their youth are more likely to become workplace leaders, are more likely to aspire to senior leadership and are more likely to negotiate their salaries. These women also credit skills learned in sports with helping them advance professionally.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260830853936/en/

The report sits at the intersection of e.l.f.’s two long-standing purpose commitments: Change the Board Game, the company’s commitment to boardroom equity and empowering.legendary.females., its commitment to women’s sports. Both initiatives are rooted in creating access and accelerating pathways for the next generations of leaders.

Parity, a women’s sports consultancy focused on closing the gender income and opportunity gap in sports, is e.l.f.’s partner in the research. Aligned by shared beliefs, Parity brought their research expertise and rigor to execute the research at scale and e.l.f. leaned into its global platform of positivity, inclusivity and accessibility.

The report centers on the Everyday Athlete – women who played sports for at least three years before the end of high/secondary school and now work (or recently worked) full time – alongside pro women athletes, men and women board members and women with little or no sports experience. Across all four countries, the study shows women who played sports carry those lessons into their careers.

See how Everyday Athletes say sports change the e.l.f.ing game for women at work:

The study doubles down on these findings by talking directly to pro women athletes and men and women board members from all four countries:

"This research puts numbers behind what we’ve always believed. Building pathways for women in sports by investing in the players, leagues and their fans helps shape a brighter future for the next generation of changemakers,” said Patrick O’Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer, e.l.f. Brands. “At e.l.f., we are committed to democratizing access to the playing field and to the boardroom so every legendary female has the access and the opportunity to change the e.l.f.ing game.”

Data from the study shows momentum for girls playing sports is growing: 70% of Gen Z women who started sports played through the end of high/secondary school, up from 62% of Baby Boomers. Even so, prior research shows girls across the US, Canada, Germany and the UK all participate in sports at lower rates than boys in their countries. Given the data from this study shows the life-long positive impact sports have on girls’ futures, e.l.f. and Parity are resolved in their shared commitment to get and keep girls in sports.

“Our hope is that these findings don’t simply reinforce the value of sports but inspire society to create more opportunities for girls to play,” said Leela Srinivasan, CEO of Parity. “Because this isn’t about being elite or becoming a professional athlete. The benefits are linked to participation itself. By showing up, learning, competing and staying in the game for a few years, girls are already building valuable skills and characteristics they can leverage for advancement throughout their careers.”

Together, e.l.f. and Parity look to help level the playing field and widen the pipeline into every room where decisions are made.

The report will debut at the third Power of Women’s Sports Summit, produced by Billie Jean King Enterprises with e.l.f. as the presenting partner. The Power of Women’s Sports Summit brings together some of the most influential change makers in sports, business and entertainment together on a global stage, all united by a shared commitment to accelerate the progress in women’s sports as a marketplace.

Check out the full report to learn more here.

About e.l.f. Beauty

e.l.f. Beauty (NYSE: ELF) is a bold disruptor with a kind heart, fueled by a mission to make the best of beauty accessible and a purpose to make the world a better place for every eye, lip and face. Purpose led and results driven, e.l.f. Beauty is a different kind of company that disrupts norms, shapes culture and connects communities through positivity, inclusivity and accessibility. e.l.f. Beauty’s global portfolio of brands includes e.l.f. Cosmetics, e.l.f. SKIN, e.l.f. Hair, Naturium, rhode and Well People. e.l.f. Brands products are vegan, e.l.f. clean and double-certified by Leaping Bunny and PETA as cruelty-free. e.l.f. Brands are proud to have products made in Fair Trade Certified™ facilities. Learn more at www.elfbeauty.com.

About Parity

Parity is a women’s sports consultancy specializing in professional athlete partnerships. With a mission to close the gender income and opportunity gap in sports, Parity connects brands with a diverse network of more than 1,600 pro women athletes across 85+ sports, including 300+ Olympians and Paralympians. Through athlete engagements, official community partnerships, women’s sports consulting, and custom research, Parity helps brands authentically engage the most trusted voices in sports today. For more information, visit www.paritynow.com.

Research Methodology

The research draws on original surveys of three groups in the U.S., Canada, Germany and the U.K.:

The quantitative research was supplemented by 21 qualitative interviews with a mix of Everyday Athletes, women professional athletes, and women board members from each country.

Comparisons between groups are descriptive and reflect correlation, not definitive causation. For the complete methodology, see the full report.

e.l.f. Beauty and Parity unveil “Girls Who Play Change the Game,” new research connecting girls’ sports participation to women’s leadership and workplace success.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A major flash flood at the Grand Canyon forced the evacuation of dozens of people, swept large boulders and metal structures into the Colorado River and knocked out the sole water pipeline that serves tourists and residents, the National Park Service said Sunday.

Starting Monday, tourists won't be able to stay overnight at lodges and hotels within Grand Canyon National Park. Year-round residents are being asked to conserve water.

“These measures are crucial for ensuring the safety and sustainability of water resources,” the park said in a statement.

The flooding in Arizona's Bright Angel Creek, which flows into the river, happened Saturday afternoon. More than 60 people were evacuated from the depths of the canyon. The park service says it has yet to account for 15 people and asked anyone with details about hikers or campers in the canyon to get in touch. The Arizona Department of Public Safety was helping with additional evacuations Sunday.

Parth Desai was hiking through a narrow passage in Bright Angel Canyon with fellow physicians and a park ranger when the downpour started Saturday.

“We saw the creek flood, waterfalls coming up out of nowhere, boulders, mud, landslides happening everywhere,” he said.

Later, as they made their way toward Phantom Ranch, a colleague shouted “Up, Up, Up, Up!” as a 4-foot (1-meter) debris wall headed toward them and they ran up into a patch of cacti, he said. They were rescued by helicopter late Saturday after making it to the Phantom Ranch area, he said.

Torrents of water wiped out footbridges over the creek and altered the landscape, widening the creek bed and extending an existing river rapid or creating a new one. The flood was a major blow to an enduring effort to modernize the pipeline that serves 6 million visitors a year and roughly 1,600 residents of Grand Canyon Village.

“Heaven help us if the whole thing down there at the bottom has to be reconstructed,” said Jack Schmidt, director of the Center for Colorado River Studies at Utah State University. “Where are they going to get the money? It's a nightmare for the park service. And thank God nobody was hurt or killed.”

Halting overnight stays at the park because of a lack of water is rare, although the pipeline frequently has failed over the years.

A $208 million rehabilitation of the pipeline and upgrades to the associated water delivery system started in 2023, with the park service calling it a crucial investment to ensure the park can meet the needs of residents and visitors. The project was expected to be completed next year.

Lodging is still available just outside the park's South Rim entrance station in Tusayan.

Popular tourist spots, including the Bright Angel Campground, the North Kaibab Trail and Phantom Ranch, home to a historic canteen and dormitories, remained closed Sunday.

Erica Viola said she and about 50 other hikers at that campground watched the creek rise Saturday and debris start to flow by, including what looked like a bunkhouse. The helicopter ride out cut her adventure short by two days, she said.

About half an inch to 1 inch (1 to 2.5 cm) of rain fell within about 20 minutes on a rocky slope where there’s a steep drop in elevation, said National Weather Service meteorologist Darren McCollum in Flagstaff. The deluge was preceded by two smaller systems that drenched the area hours earlier.

“So when the main storm moved in, torrential rain fell on everything that was already soaked, and that caused all the problems that we're seeing," McCollum said.

The weather service said the flooding happened on the north side of the Grand Canyon, where Bright Angel Creek comes from the North Rim down to the Colorado River, dropping around 6,000 feet (1,828 meters).

More rain and thunderstorms were possible for the area into Monday.

Stengle reported from Dallas. Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles also contributed.

This photo shows Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, after it was hit by heavy flooding a day earlier. (Craig Sanderson via AP)

This photo shows Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026, after it was hit by heavy flooding a day earlier. (Craig Sanderson via AP)

Bright Angel Creek near the Phantom Ranger Station in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, is seen after flash flooding from storms, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. (Parth Desai via AP)